Proposed Rule Changes to Federal Child Labor Laws
March 31, 2015
The U.S. Department of Labor is proposing changes to the child labor rules that apply to young hired agricultural workers. The department points out that these revisions are meant to bring the safety rules governing young farm workers up to the same safety standards as those for nonagricultural workers. They cite Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that “the fatality rate for agricultural workers who are 15 to 17 years of age is 4.4 times greater than the risk for the average worker in that age range” (U.S. Department of Labor, 2011).
The fact sheet developed by MSU Extension gives a more in depth look at how the proposed regulations will impact Michigan 4-H.