June Is Youth Employment Safety Month

6/7/2022 (Permalink)

Here at SERVPRO of Edmonds we are all about safety! Responding to disasters is our line of work and has made us hyper-aware of risks that can happen when least expected. Recently the Washington State department of L & I  (labor and industries) presented to our local Edmonds Chamber and shared some great tips about staying safe and following regulations in the workplace. 

L & I shared that June is “Youth Employment Safety Month.” With the school year wrapping up, lots of teens will be starting summer jobs in the coming weeks.
Employers in Washington must meet certain criteria before hiring anyone under 18. Once hired, there are rules for breaks, wages, and job duties specific to youth.

Over the years we have hosted several teen paid internships to gain professional and real life experience here in the safety of our office. Did you know youth under 18 years old are prohibited from performing the following work in the construction industry?:

• Working on or around a roof
• Wrecking, demolition, trenching, or excavating
• Operating or riding cargo elevators, manlifts, hoists, and cranes (automatic passenger elevators are okay)
• Flagging or helping on public roadway
• Operating boilers or working in engine rooms
• Operating power-driven woodworking machines
• Operating metal-forming, punching, and shearing machines
• Operating powered circular and band saws
• Handling or using explosives
• Mining