A teen pulling weeds to earn pocket money died when an improperly stored piece of hoisting equipment fell and crushed his skull. The boy, just 14-years-old, was working with his father at an automobile repossession yard pulling weeds and doing general clean-up duties.

No one witnessed the incident; however, there were large-stemmed weeds behind the 300-pound (136 kilogram) unit, suggesting the boy may have attempted to move it to continue his work. The boy was not supervised and did not receive a safety orientation to identify potential hazards.

Employees should treat all worksites as dangerous and take steps to protect their lives and those of their co-workers. Always review your company’s safety program and be on the lookout for hazards such as old equipment that should be isolated, stabilized or restrained.

Encourage your children, or youth you know, to secure jobs where constant supervision is provided. Let them know that the law prohibits youth from working at jobs that could be detrimental to their health or well-being.