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Every day at the workplace, workers face health and safety hazards such as accidents, dust, chemicals, noise, violence or stress. The effects range from premature death and injuries to occupational diseases such as cancer and respiratory disease.

Young workers bear a higher risk of injuries at work due to lack of experience and limited awareness of existing or potential risks. Adverse health effects are more frequent and severe when exposure occurs during childhood, because of the higher sensitivity of children’s developing organs to toxic agents and other workplace hazards.

Children and adolescents must be considered as a specific risk group for work-related diseases and relevant measures must be taken to ensure their safety and health. In recent years, the incidence of occupational injuries among young workers showed a slightly decreasing trend, with a clear decrease in a few countries only. This indicates the need for further action to improve young workers’ safety.

For the definition and other details about each indicator, please read the metadata section within the assessment and read the information on indicator methodology.