The First Paycheck, At What Cost?

Who doesn't remember their first job? For many, it came during their high school years. Whether working at McDonalds, delivering newspapers or cleaning animal cages at the zoo. No matter where you work, safety on the job is a big concern to parents and teens.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, every year about 70 teens die from work injuries in the United States. Another 70,000 get hurt badly enough to go to a hospital emergency room.

The big question is why? Teens are often injured on the job due to unsafe equipment, stressful conditions and often, inadequate safety training and supervision. As a teen, you are much more likely to be injured when working on jobs that you are not allowed by law to do.

For more information about hazards to watch out for and the laws restricting jobs teens can do, please go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/adoldoc.html.

This week I am participating with my partner Paul Downes in a discussion about teen job safety on the Burnsville Cable Television community interview show. We will be joined by Roslyn Wade, the Director of Labor Standards with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.

Do you have a first job story you'd like to share? Feel free to make a comment to this blog and who knows, your story may even be mentioned on the TV interview.

Art Kosieradzki
Attorney at Law
SIEBEN, GROSE, VON HOLTUM & CAREY
20876 Holyoke Avenue
Lakeville, MN 55044
Direct: 952-469-2288, Ext. 401