> Michael was found to be among nine teens, ages 14 to 17, who illegally operated machinery at the company. They also employed seven teens, ages 14 and 15, outs

> Michael was found to be among nine teens, ages 14 to 17, who illegally operated machinery at the company. They also employed seven teens, ages 14 and 15, outside legally permitted hours. Michael was one of those who worked outside legally permitted hours before he turned 16 – when the regulations change – and had also previously illegally operated dangerous equipment. "These things happen" when employers flout the law in a regulatory environment that enables them to do so. You can have a tradition of summer jobs without getting teenagers up at 4 in the morning to operate heavy machinery. In any case, sawmills are explicitly identified as a hazardous work environment prohibited for minors under federal law.