DOL to Tighten Child Labor Safety Laws

The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed updated regulations designed to improve the safety of the nation’s teenage workers.

The proposed updates to regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) include new bans on hazardous work activities like working at poultry slaughtering plants, riding on forklifts as passengers, fighting forest fires, and loading and operating non-paper products balers and compacters. In addition the new regulations would prohibit 14- and 15-year olds from working in door-to-door sales.

"The proposal contains the most ambitious and far-reaching revisions to the child labor regulations in the last 30 years," said Wage and Hour Division Administrator Paul DeCamp in a press release. "It will safeguard the health and education of millions of working teens while at the same time allowing them to enjoy the benefits of a phased introduction to the workplace."

For information on the current child labor rules, see the Department of Labor's YouthRules! Web site.

The U.S. Department of Labor is a Cabinet-level, regulatory agency.

Also See: Report: Child Labor in US Trade Beneficiary Countries