Check Your Compliance

Be sure you are doing your part to keep your young workers safe. Use these self-assessment tools to check your knowledge of, and compliance with, regulations that apply to your young workers.

Non-agricultural employer self-assessment tool

Restaurant employer self-assessment tool

Grocery employer self-assessment tool

 

Grocery employer self-assessment tool

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division produced this self assessment tool to help employers comply with the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. It reflects what our experience has shown to be some of the most common problems encountered in your industry. You can use this tool to help evaluate your firm's level of compliance. You are not required to use this tool, but we believe you will find it helpful in preventing problems and achieving compliance with the Federal child labor provisions.

If you answer YES to any questions, you are likely out of compliance.

 

Do any workers under 18 years of age do the following?

Operate or clean power-driven meat slicers or other meat or poultry processing machines?

Yes    No

Minors under age 18 may not set up, operate, assist to operate, clean, oil, adjust, or repair, power driven meat processing equipment. This includes meat slicers, meat grinders, patty forming machines, meat and bone cutting saws, and food processors when used to process meats or poultry. Such minors may not hand wash the disassembled parts of power-driven meat processing machines. Such minors may, however, run a rack through an automatic dishwasher containing the disassembled parts of a power-driven meat process machine as long as the minor does not come in contact with those parts. See 29 CFR § 570.61

You are likely in compliance
You are likely out of compliance
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Operate or clean any power-driven dough mixer or other bakery machines?

Yes    No

Minors under 18 generally may not set up, operate, assist to operate, clean, oil, adjust, or repair power driven bakery machines. This includes horizontal and vertical dough mixers (including countertop models), batter mixers, bread dividing, rounding, or molding machines, dough brakes, dough sheeters, cookie and cracker machines, and cake cutting bandsaws. A limited exemption does permit 16- and 17-yeare-olds to operate small capacity, portable, countertop mixers similar to the types used in private homes. See 29 CFR § 570.62

You are likely in compliance
You are likely out of compliance
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Operate, load, or unload scrap paper balers or paper box compactors?

Yes    No

Minors under 18 generally may not load, operate, or unload balers and compactors-regardless of the materials being processed by the machines. A limited exemption does allow 16- and 17-year-olds to load-but not operate or unload-certain scrap paper balers and paper box compactors under specific conditions if the equipment meets certain safety standards, there is a posting to this effect on the machine, the on-off switch of the machine has a key-lock or other type of lock-out system, and the equipment can not be operated while it is being loaded. See 29 CFR § 570.63, and Important Change in the Child Labor Laws Affecting Hazardous Occupations Order No. 12 and the Loading of Scrap Paper Balers and Paper Box Compactors

You are likely in compliance
You are likely out of compliance
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Drive a motor-vehicle on the job?

Yes    No

Minors under 18 generally may not drive any type of motor vehicle or work as an outside helper on public roads or highways. This prohibition extends to the towing of vehicles and the driving of school buses and trucks. There is a limited exception to this provision that permits 17-year-olds to drive an automobile or truck (gross vehicle weight not exceeding 6,000 pounds) for limited periods of time when certain conditions are met. These conditions include that the minor possess a valid license, the driving is only during daylight hours, the driving does not involve urgent time sensitive deliveries such as delivering a pizza to a residence, and the driving is only occasional and incidental to their employment. There are additional requirements that also must be met. See 29 CFR § 570.52, and see Fact Sheet 34

You are likely in compliance
You are likely out of compliance
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Operate, assist in the operation of, or ride on any power-driven hoisting equipment such as a forklift, scissor lift, or work assist platform?

Yes    No

Minors under age 18 generally may not operate any power-driven hoisting equipment such as a forklift, forktruck, forklift truck, tiering truck, stacking truck, scissor lift, work assist platform, or a bobcat loader. Such youth are also prohibited from riding upon or working from such equipment. Lowlift trucks or lowlift platform trucks that are designed for the transporting, but not the tiering, of material are permitted. See 29 CFR § 570.58

You are likely in compliance
You are likely out of compliance
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This self-assessment tool is provided for your convenience.
Do not mail your completed self-assessment to the Wage and Hour Division.

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