Young workers between the ages of 14 and 24 are at an increased risk for occupational injuries to a lack of job experience, an inability to recognize hazards, the ongoing cognitive and physical development of youth, and a reluctance to speak up.

Training has been shown to effectively reduce the number of workplace injuries. The overall goal of PUSH (Promoting U through Safety & Health) is to reduce the incidence of workplace injury among young workers by way of training tools specifically designed to address the distinctive needs of this population.

Evaluated with park and recreation workers, PUSH showed significant improvements in safety and health knowledge and was well liked by the young workers. The training has been adopted by the City of Portland for their seasonal young workers.

PUSH builds useful skills in young workers, thereby addressing the long-term goals of reducing
injuries and improving health with the added benefit of creating a more productive workforce.

PUSH is funded through a grant from the National Institute of Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH) and is an Oregon Healthy Workforce Center, a NIOSH Total Worker Health Center of Excellence project

Contact Helen Schuckers, OHWC's Dissemination Specialist: schucker@ohsu.edu

Visit our newest tools and toolkits website at YourWorkpath.com to access the PUSH toolkit.

Publications

Rohlman, D.S., Parish, M., Elliot, D.L., Hanson, G., Perrin, N. (2016). Addressing young workers' needs: the Promoting U through Safety and Health (PUSH) trial outcomes. Healthcare: Special Issue Occupational Health Issues in the New Millennium. 4(3), 55.

Parish, M., Rohlman, D.S., Elliot, D.L., Lasarev, M. (2016). Factors associated with occupational injuries in seasonal young workers. Occupational Medicine. 66(2),166-167.

Elliot, D., Rohlman, D., Parish, M. (2015). Focus groups move online: Feasibility of Tumblr use of e-health curriculum development. Journal of Medical Internet –Research Protocols, 4(1), 1-6. 

Rohlman, D., Parish, M., Elliot, D., Montgomery, D., & Hanson, G. (2013). Characterizing the needs of a young working population: Making the case for total worker health in an emerging workforce. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 55, S69-S72.

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