This kid still works for the company and his parents don’t “blame” the company, saying it could have happened to anyone…
The article title focuses on the school-based work program, but that was just giving him credit for the job he already had.
Derrik had worked at Rotschy, a large construction company in southwestern Washington, for about nine months prior to his injury, and had recently joined a school program that allowed him to earn class credit for hours on the job.
The real problem was the company ignoring safety regulation.
Rotschy, which routinely hired teenage workers amid recent labor shortages, violated the law when supervisors assigned tasks known to be dangerous and prohibited for minors to perform. The Battle Ground School District, where Derrik attended, did not conduct an initial site inspection as required by the program. The state Department of Labor & Industries and school district officials disagree on who bears responsibility for ongoing safety monitoring.
The school was also wrong to not conduct an initial site inspection, although my guess is that the company wouldn’t have the kids doing the illegal stuff during the inspection. So the school was also wrong, but not nearly at the same level as the company.
Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
“could have happened to anyone”
Uh, sure, maybe anyone who wasn’t 16 years old. I completely blame the company for allowing a 16 year old to operate dangerous equipment, let alone without direct supervision.
If his two coworkers were only alerted to his injury after the kid phoned his boss, got disconnected, texted him a picture, then the boss phones the coworkers, they were absolutely not close enough to be supervising that kid even with “hearing protection”. That would be like 2-3 minutes at least for that process but likely took longer.
You’re telling me there were no better jobs the kid could have been doing while the coworkers operated the mulching machine?
zephorah@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
What a strange thing for a parent to say. How are they not suing?
Sounds like there’s plenty of evidence for a win.
M600@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Maybe they already got a big check to not sue and say what they did.
stoly@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I was born in Eastern Washington. It is and has always been in full on MAGA-mode rage and people truly don’t give the slightest fuck about human lives and well being.