The most common nonfatal injuries observed among working children are lacerations, sprains and strains, contusions, burns, and fractures (Banco et al., 1992; Belville et al., 1993; Brooks and Davis, 1996; Brooks et al., 1993; Bush and Baker, 1994; Layne et al., 1994; Miller, 1995; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1996; Parker et al., 1994a, 1994b; Schober et al., 1988) (see Figure 3-1 and Table 3-3). The rank ordering of these injury types varies depending on the data source. For example, studies based on emergency-department records indicate that cuts and lacerations are the leading type of injury, while studies based on workers' compensation claims for injuries resulting in lost work time and on Occupational Health and Safety Administration data from injury logs tend to report more sprains and strains (Brooks and Davis, 1996; Brooks et al., 1993; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1996; Layne et al., 1994).

Although data on the extent of disability associated with these injuries are limited, the seriousness of these injuries should not be

FIGURE 3-1 Work-related injures of 14-to 17-year-olds, by type of injury. SOURCE: Data from Layne et al. (1994).