GREEN BAY, Wis. — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal consent order and judgment against sawmill operator Florence Hardwoods LLC following the death of 16-year-old Michael Schuls. The company has agreed to comply with federal child labor laws.
Schuls died July 1 from his injuries in a June 29 accident at the Florence, Wisconsin-based mill. Schuls was attempting to unjam a wood-stacking machine at Florence Hardwoods when the conveyor belt he was standing on moved and caused him to become pinned in the machine. Schuls died in the hospital two days later.
The teen, however, lives on through donated organs. His father, Jim Schuls, who also worked at the hardwood facility, said his son donated his organs after his death, and one of his benefactors was his own mother. "Lucky enough his mom was the perfect match for his liver, and 7 or 8 other families received life,’ he said. "That’s what’s keeping me going."
The order requires the Florence County company to place labels and signage to prevent children under age 18 from using dangerous equipment and entering the company’s sawmill and planer buildings. The company has agreed not to hire anyone under the age of 16 and if the company hires anyone between the ages of 16 and 18 in the future, the company must strictly comply with the requirements for apprentices or student learners and inform the department before hiring them.
The action follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division into a...
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