Get a job, work safe

Get a job, Work safe

What are the top injuries for young workers? Find out and learn how to avoid spending time in the emergency room. Get safety training…

Get safety training.  Even a simple task, like making coffee in a drive-through coffee house, has risks: burns from steam, customer violence, or heat stress. You should receive safety training on any tasks you perform on the job.

Protect yourself. Gloves, safety boots, and goggles may not be trendy, but if the job requires it, you’ve got to wear it. Know what the safety features are on the equipment you use and don’t remove it, even if you think it’s inconvenient or slows you down. It isn’t worth risking your safety.

Talk about situations that seem unsafe to you. Report injuries and unsafe situations right away. Don’t be afraid to speak up; it may prevent you or someone else from being hurt later. If you have concerns about working alone during early morning or late night shifts, talk these over with your employer.

Don’t take shortcuts. You may be tempted to take shortcuts to get the job done faster, but it’s never worth the risk. Take your time and do the job safely.

Know Your Rights. All workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace. Your work rights are listed below. Take a look, you owe it to yourself.

 

BUREAU OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIES

SUMMARY OF CHILD LABOR LAWS

RETAIN THIS INFORMATION FOR YOUR REFERENCE

WORKING HOURS (NON AGRICULTURE*)

14 AND 15 YEAR-OLDS

When School is in Session

  • 3 hours per day, 8 hours on non-school days, 18 hours per week maximum
  • Only between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm
  • Working is not allowed during school hours

When School is not in Session

  • 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week maximum
  • From June 1 through Labor Day: 7:00 am to 9:00 pm

16 AND 17 YEAR-OLDS

  • Any hours
  • 44 hours per week maximum

MINIMUM WAGE: The minimum wage is $7.95 per hour beginning January 1, 2008.

MEALS: Meal periods of at least 30 minutes must be provided no later than five hours and one minute after the minor reports to work. Minors 14 and 15 years of age must be fully relieved of work duties during this time. Minors who are 16 and 17 years of age may work during a meal period, but must be paid for their time. This is permitted only if the nature of the work prevents the minor from being relieved from all duty.

BREAKS: Rest periods of at least 15 minutes must be provided during each four hours (or major portion) of work time.

ADEQUATE WORK: Adequate work must be provided if the employer requires the minor to report to work. Adequate work means enough work (or compensation in lieu of work) to earn at least one-half of the amount earned during the minor’s regularly scheduled hours to work.

RECORDS AVAILABILITY: Records shall be preserved and maintained for a period of at least two years. The records should be maintained in a safe and accessible place and they shall be made available, upon request, for inspections and transcriptions by authorized representatives.

HAZARDOUS AND PROHIBITED OCCUPATIONS

The Wage and Hour Commission has determined that the following occupations are particularly hazardous for the employment of minors under 18 and employment in these occupations is prohibited:

PROHIBITED FOR MINORS UNDER 18

  • Manufacturing, storing and using explosives
  • Motor vehicle driving (prohibited for minors 16 and under; permitted under limited circumstances for minors 17 years of age.)
  • Motor vehicle outside helper
  • Coal mining
  • Logging and saw milling
  • Using power-driven woodworking machines
  • Where there is exposure to radioactive substances
  • Using power-driven hoisting apparatus
  • Using power-driven metal-forming, punching, and shearing machines
  • Mining, other than coal-mining
  • Slaughtering or meat-packing, processing or rendering
  • Using power-driven bakery machines
  • Using power-driven paper-products machines
  • Manufacturing brick, tile and kindred products
  • Using power-driven circular saws, band saws, and guillotine shears
  • Wrecking, demolition, and ship-breaking operations
  • Roofing operations
  • Excavation operations
  • Messenger service between the hours of 10:00 pm and 5:00 am

PROHIBITED FOR MINORS UNDER 16

  • Cold storage plants
  • Commercial docks
  • Construction (alteration, repair, painting, or demolition of buildings, bridges, and structures)
  • Firefighting
  • Grain elevators
  • Gravel or sand plant or bunker
  • Ice Plants
  • Land clearing (with blasting or presence of heavy equipment)
  • Logging operations
  • Lumber loading
  • Mechanical amusements
  • Surveying
  • Window cleaning (outside above ground)
  • Wood cutting, sawing
  • All kinds of work in workshops or any premise, room, or place where power-driven machinery is used in or incidental to adapting articles or goods for sale
  • ONLY office work is allowed in the following operations:
    • auto wrecking yards – junk dealer – water works
    • lumbering – motor vehicles (transportation)

* Specific rules apply for the employment of minors in agriculture. For more information, contact the Child Labor Unit in Portland at (971) 673-0836.

THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS ONLY A SUMMARY–FOR MORE COMPLETE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE BUREAU’S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR EMPLOYERS UNIT AT (971) 673-0824, OR REFER TO THE BUREAU’S WEBSITE AT www.oregon.gov/boli

Share this: