Age limits on crew Cancel The title field is required!

1. Terry Negen

   

   0 posts
   
   2/5/2015 8:02 AM

   I have a discussion ongoing with the BOD on what age and what equipment kids that work can operate. We are located in Minnesota and there seems to be some gray matter in the laws and as to what age they need to be to run equipment. I currently am trying to hire 15 year olds to do the daily trash, ball washers, sand seed jobs, bunker work, weed eating and push mowing. The BOD says that they have to be 16 to be on the golf course in a working manner and to drive a golf cart or utility vehicle which I think is not correct, the golf pro uses 14 year old to pick the driving range and that seems to pass alright with them. If anyone know the rules or who to contact besides the state because you can't get a straight answer from them that would be great.
   
   Terry Negen, Superintendent
   Marshall Golf Club
   Marshall, MN

   
   
   
   
2. Greg George

   

   0 posts
   
   2/5/2015 9:02 AM

   Try calling your Insurance Carrier. They could dig up the regulations for you or they may have their own that are more restrictive. If anything happens to an employee, they are ultimately responsible. Before you open that box, make sure that your BOD knows what you are doing.
   
   Greg George
   North Conway CC

   
   
   
   
3. Christopher Thuer

   

   101 posts
   
   2/5/2015 9:02 AM

   Here it is the same for grounds and pro shop staff. Everyone must have a valid driver's license. I don't know if that is a state or federal rule. It might be the insurance company rule. My daughter turned 16 last June but couldn't start working at the pro shop until December when she got her license.

   
   Chris Thuer, CGCS, Bear Slide Golf Club, Cicero, IN
   
   
4. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   2/5/2015 9:02 AM

   Follow the link to the Department of Labor's age requirements:
   
   http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/youthlabor/agerequirements.htm
   
   This info is also on the nice little federal poster you should have hanging on your shop wall.
   
   There are some jobs that are deemed hazardous and an equipment horsepower limitation you will have to follow.

   
   
   
   
5. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   2/6/2015 9:02 AM

   I know last summer one of our courses could not use a 16 year old to weedeat. He could walk mow greens and rake bunkers, but weedeating was considered hazardous. This was by our HR department.
   
   In Indiana, I seem to remember a rule about under 18 years old could not start before 6:00 AM, even in the summer?
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
6. Norma O'Leary

   

   1 posts
   
   2/7/2015 10:02 PM

   Terry:
   
   I agree that the MN law is fairly vague, but I would not hire anyone under 16 years of age to operate any power equipment including golf cars. Several years ago I sat on a committee with several other MN golf course superintendents and a representative from the MN dept. of Labor. Our purpose was to attempt to clear things up a bit for golf course employees. I have pasted below a couple documents we came up with in regards to 14-15 year old workers and also 16-17 year old workers. This is not law, only guideline. If an <18 year old worker is injured while operating any equipment you will most likely be on the hook for "improper training" no matter how well you think your trained them. It's not worth it.
   
   MGCSA / MN DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COLLABORATIVE DOCUMENT
   14-15 year-old employee
   • Job responsibilities are severely restricted for this age group.
   • Exemptions are available through the MN Department of Labor on a case-by-case basis.
   • A 15 year-old with a driver's permit, an exemption from the MN Department of Labor, and a comprehensive job description may be allowed to drive a golf car.
   • Please contact the MN Department of Labor and Industry for further clarification at:
   
   443 Lafayette Road North
   St. Paul, MN 55155-4307
   www.doli.state.mn.us/laborlaw.html
   
   The MN labor laws can be found at:
   http://www.doli.state.mn.us/statrule.html
   
   MGCSA / MN DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COLLABORATIVE DOCUMENT - 3/30/06
   Equipment Usage Restrictions for 16 and 17 year-old emlpoyees
   
   DISCLAIMER: These are guidelines agreed to by the MN Department of Labor in conjunction with the MGCSA Child Labor Law Committee. All equipment should have appropriate, fully functioning safety systems and all individuals operating this equipment should be trained in its safe and proper usage.
   
   Golf Car Yes w/ valid driver's license
   Utility Vehicles/Cushmans Yes w/ valid driver's license
   Tractors- Ag/Farm/Construction Type No
   All implements attached to the above No
   Skid loader, Forklift, Front-end loader No
   Garden tractors Yes
   Walk behind Snow blowers Yes
   Pressure washers Yes
   High Pressure air hose Yes
   Tow behind blowers- non-PTO driven Yes
   Tow behind vacs – non-PTO driven Yes
   Tri-deck rotary rider mower Yes
   5-deck rotary rider mower Yes
   Out-front rotary rider mower Yes
   5-plex fairway mower Yes
   Pull-behind gang mowers No
   Riding bunker rake Yes
   Triplex reel mower Yes
   Push rotary mower Yes, with safety system
   Walk rototiller Yes
   String trimmers Yes, PPE mandatory
   Back pack blower Yes, PPE mandatory
   Chain saw No
   Walk blower Yes
   Walk green mower Yes
   Drill press Yes
   Welders No
   Portable generators Yes
   Bench grinder Yes
   Propane torch No
   Circular saw No
   Table saw No
   Cement mixer Yes, if not used for construction projects
   Electric water hose reel Yes
   Walk behind aerifier Yes
   Wood chipper No
   Sod cutter Yes
   Walk behind seeders/verticutters Yes
   Plate compactor Yes
   Hover mowers Yes

   
   
   
   
7. Terry Negen

   

   0 posts
   
   2/8/2015 5:02 PM

   Norma
   Thanks for the input on the labor issues, the part that is so confusing is that the insurance carrier that we have has said that a 15 year old employee is fully covered under the insurance and the workmans comp insurance. Someone also told me that if the parent of the child signs a waiver that the child can work even at the age of 15. So with these laws what do you do about the picking of the driving range because we can't find a 16 year old that wants to pick the driving range so we have 14-15 year olds that are eager to work yet with this law they are not allowed to operate a golf cart, yet they can drive their parents cart on the course with the course rules. I tried opening the links that you sent and they wouldn't open. If there is a contact name that you remember could you pass that along to me.
   Thanks
   Terry

   
   
   
   
8. Brent Venenga

   

   0 posts
   
   2/9/2015 12:02 PM

   Terry I went through the same thing last year. In South Dakota I came up with the answer if they are not 18 they are not working on the grounds crew.

   
   
   
   
9. Wahlin Scott B

   
   2/9/2015 2:02 PM

   I was 13 when I started working on the golf course. It felt right at the time and it worked out for me!

   
   
   
   
10. Norma O'Leary

    

    1 posts
    
    2/9/2015 10:02 PM

    Terry:
    
    Yeah, sorry, those links are no longer valid. I just cut and pasted them from the documents I still had in my computer from those meetings.
    Here is one link pertaining to those under 18 years of age.
    https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/?id=5200.0910
    You can search around that website on your own, but I am pretty sure you will be disappointed in what you find. 14 - 15 year olds driving their parents golf cart on your golf course is a lot different than having them drive them under your direct supervision. I know it is difficult to find workers to pick range, etc. but after sitting on that committee, I would definitely error on the side of safety. Bottom line is that if someone gets seriously injured on the job while operating equipment, the employer is likely to be fined. "Improper training" will be difficult to defend if someone is seriously injured.

    
    
    
    
11. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    2/10/2015 8:02 AM

    Scott Wahlin, CGCS said: I was 13 when I started working on the golf course. It felt right at the time and it worked out for me!

    
    
    We come from a different era Scott, I didn't start working on the crew until I was 18, but was a cart boy at 15.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
12. Keith Pegg

    

    0 posts
    
    2/10/2015 3:02 PM

    Melvin Waldron, CGCS said:

    Scott Wahlin, CGCS said: I was 13 when I started working on the golf course. It felt right at the time and it worked out for me!

    
    
    We come from a different era Scott, I didn't start working on the crew until I was 18, but was a cart boy at 15.
    
    Mel

    
    
    Things have changed, I started mowing greens at 12 and by 14 fairways and roughs, they had a seat belt installed just for me, had a farmers drive permit to use the truck on the road (not inside the town). We have a 18 year old reg and what a shame some of the younger teens will never have what we had. I am 66 and have never looked back on the life.
    
    Keith
    Zama Golf

    
    
    
    
13. Greg George

    

    0 posts
    
    2/11/2015 11:02 AM

    This issue is murky most everywhere and I don't mean to muddy it up anymore but out of curiosity, I browsed some Operator/Safety Manuals .We pick our range with a Polaris Ranger and their manual specifically states that people 16 year old and younger are not permitted to operate the vehicle. I thumbed through a few more for carts and string trimmers and this these warnings range from "Drivers License required" to "Do not allow children to operate"??
    It is unfortunate that there is so much conflicting information, but in the eyes of OSHA this may be a dealbreaker.
    In caution, I hire people 18 and over. While some might find this disciminatory, I run a small staff and I need these people here in May, June, Sept and October.
    
    Greg George
    North Conway CC