Following investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, the department has assessed a total of $47,575 in civil money penalties against Coney Island in Cincinnati, and Kings Island and three of Kings Island's onsite park vendors in Kings Mills, Ohio, for violations of the youth employment provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Wage and Hour Division investigators determined that the amusement parks and vendors allowed 34 employees under the age of 18 to load and operate trash compactors, and some employees under age 16 to work beyond the hours and times permitted under the FLSA......

More at:

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story.as...69-4f40f3cea1fe

A bit more on this:

http://www.wlwt.com/news/18147221/detail.html

I was a little shocked to hear about this article. Seems kind of odd that they fined both Kings Island and Coney on the same day.

As far as the number of hours worked by minors according the Fair Labor Standards Act, the hourly stipulation only applies to 14 and 15 year old workers. 16 and 17 year old workers, per the FLSA, do not have set requirements for the maximum hours they can work. However, certain states do have requirements for hours that can be worked by minors.

For example, in the state of Ohio, minor workers must receive a thirty minute rest period after five consecutive hours of work.

See the U.S. Department of Labor`s, Fact Sheet #43 on Youth Employment Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Ohio`s Department of Commerce, Division of Labor and Worker Safety Minor Labor Laws fact sheet.

Any idea what service the vendor Midwest Beverage Co. provides at Kings Island?

Midwest provides services in the employee cafeteria and at various food stands throughout the park. The only one I can recall seeing a Midwest vendor at though is a stand right by the train station across from the basketball game in Rivertown.

Cedar Fair has had some issues this year. OSHA issuing a fine against Cedar Point and the waterparks for opperations issues and now KI getting hit with this.

I imagine these issues will be addressed during the off seasson, because these are costs that are even more costly now.

I don't know if the law's changed since 1989, but I operated the trash compactor behind Bakery that year when I was 16. Of course, that was 19 ( !) years ago. Great, now I just feel old...

I don't know if the law's changed since 1989, but I operated the trash compactor behind Bakery that year when I was 16. Of course, that was 19 ( !) years ago. Great, now I just feel old...

There were no restrictions on trash compactors in 1989. You were restriced from running any slicers or mixers, though.

I can bet both companies will address this quickly, to make sure there in compliance

I can understand the issue about the hours worked without breaks for minors or the lenght of time each day they work. But putting trash into a compactor and pressing the button? I have worked in ecology in the past and almost everyone that hauls a trash cart is an adult. The compactors in the behind the scenes area are not complicated to operate. You toss the bag of trash in the bin and press the button when it is full. My apartment has those type of trash containers with a compactor attached. The opening is off the ground and no way a person can fall into it. The people working in ecology have access to the same trash bins that food stands use. Ecology only has workers over 18 working the trash bins. Now the food stands are a different thing. But still, it is not like they can fall into it.

^Exactly. The only one that I can think of that someone could fall into is the huge one near HVAC. Although I do remember hearing about someone climbing into one before to get something they accidentally threw in. But that kind of stupidity knows no age limit.

Minors not getting their breaks on time was probably one of the major issues. I know when I was a minor there was 2 different times in which we had an issue getting me a break.

^Exactly. The only one that I can think of that someone could fall into is the huge one near HVAC. Although I do remember hearing about someone climbing into one before to get something they accidentally threw in. But that kind of stupidity knows no age limit.

I know that compactor by the HVAC very well. I have never seen a minor use that compactor. The ones in the back areas are like the one I described on my other post. I used to operate a carboard bailer at a wharehouse and we were trained on it. It had a dead man switch that prevented anything above 50 lbs from from getting caught in the blades.

And if you depend on Screamscape for your news, you can find out weeks later:

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?...c=15706&hl=

^LOL, its convienent.