National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommendations to the U.S. Department of Labor for Changes to Hazardous Orders

An average of 67 workers under 18 years of age die annually from occupational injuries, and an estimated 77,000 are treated in hospital emergency departments for nonfatal injuries. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), largely unchanged in decades, defines work activities prohibited for young workers through 28 Hazardous Orders (HOs) for nonagricultural and agricultural occupations. The U.S. Department of Labor, NIOSH and others have identified the need to assess the adequacy of existing HOs to protect working youth. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provided funds for NIOSH to develop such a report based on a review of data and the scientific literature.

NIOSH Recommendations to the U.S. Department of Labor for Changes to Hazardous Orders [PDF - 467 KB]