Are Minors Prohibited From Working In Certain Occupations?
Prohibited occupations for minors under the age of 18 are as follows:
- To serve, dispense or handle intoxicating liquors that are consumed on the premises;
- To work in rooms where liquor is served or consumed, with the following exceptions: 17yearolds may perform busing or dishwashing duties in a restaurant and 16 and 17yearolds may provide musical entertainment in a restaurant;
- Serving or selling intoxicating liquor in a retail liquor establishment by minors less than 18 years of age;
- Where chemicals or other substances are present at excessive temperatures or in injurious, explosive, toxic or flammable quantities;
- Where explosives or fireworks are manufactured, stored, handled or fired;
- In or about logging or lumbering operations; paper mills; saw mills, lath mills, shingle mills; mines, quarries and sand or gravel pits; construction or building projects; ice harvesting operations;
- In building maintenance or repair higher than 12 feet above ground or floor level;
- In oxyacetylene or oxyhydrogren welding;
- On boats or vessels used for commercial purposes, except if performing guide or other nonoperational duties;
- Driving buses, cabs or other passengercarrying vehicles as a driver;
- In certain railway occupations;
- Operating or assisting in the operation of powerdriven machinery, such as forklifts, meat saws and grinders, milling machines, punch presses, press brakes and shears, woodworking machinery;
- Operating any nonautomatic elevator, lift or hoisting machine;
- Operating, erecting or dismantling rides or machinery in an amusement park, street carnival or traveling show, or in the loading or unloading of passengers on rides;
- In aerial or other acrobatic acts;
- As a lifeguard, except for a minor with a Red Cross lifesaving certificate that works with uninterrupted adult supervision.
Prohibited occupations for minors less than 16 years of age:
In addition to all of the above:
- To operate or assist in the operation of machinery;
- Laundry, rug cleaning or drycleaning equipment;
- Powerdriven snowblowers, lawn mowers or garden equipment;
- Drill presses, milling machines, grinders, lathes and portable powerdriven machinery such as drills, sanders, and polishing and scrubbing equipment for floor maintenance;
- Meat slicers, textilemaking machines or bakery machinery;
- In oiling, cleaning or maintaining any powerdriven machinery;
- In work using pits, racks or lifting apparatus at service stations or in mounting tires on rims;
- In a car wash to attach cars to or detach them from mechanized conveyor lines or to operate or contact the car while it is connected to the conveyor;
- In any agricultural operation declared by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to be particularly hazardous for employment of children less than age 16;
- In or about an airport landing strip and taxi or maintenance aprons;
- As an outside helper on a motor vehicle;
- Welding, loader or launcher for skeet or trapshooting, manufacturing or commercial warehouse, processing plants;
- Lifting, carrying or caring for patients in hospitals or nursing homes;
- In walkin meat freezers or meat coolers, except for occasional entrance.
Exceptions:
- A 17yearold high school graduate;
- A minor employed by a business solely owned and daily supervised by one or both parents;
- A minor participating in a stateapproved apprenticeship program or a program approved by the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning;
- A minor employed at tasks away from or outside of the area of hazardous operation, equipment or materials.