I’ve got a story to share with you about a Georgia contractor that was recently busted for violating child labor, overtime, and worker safety laws. It’s a tough lesson for everyone involved, but it’s important to remember that when it comes to the workplace, safety must always come first.

Picture this: a 17-year-old kid falls a staggering 24 feet from the roof of a home improvement store in New Castle, Pennsylvania, back in October 2022. The young worker miraculously survives with only minor injuries, but the incident raises some serious questions about what he was doing up there in the first place.

It turns out that JVS Roofing, a company based in Jonesboro, Georgia, had hired this underage worker to do some dangerous roofing work. As you might expect, that’s a big no-no under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which clearly states that this type of work is too hazardous for young workers.

But the story doesn’t end there. When the U.S. Department of Labor started digging into the case, they discovered that JVS Roofing was also guilty of misclassifying 30 of their workers as independent contractors, allowing them to dodge overtime pay when employees worked more than 40 hours in a week. To make matters worse, the company wasn’t keeping accurate payroll records either.

After the dust settled, JVS Roofing had to pay a total of $92,640 in back wages to the affected workers, as well as cough up a $6,399 civil penalty for the child labor violation.

Wage and Hour Division District Director John DuMont minced no words when he said, “JVS Roofing ignored federal child labor laws and hired an underage employee to do prohibited roofing work.” DuMont went on to explain that the company shortchanged workers an average of $3,000 each by misclassifying them as independent contractors.

But wait, there’s more. The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) discovered that JVS Roofing wasn’t providing their employees with the required fall protection or related training, nor did they have a proper fall protection system in place.

OSHA slapped JVS Roofing with four serious safety violations and $16,500 in penalties, which the company has since paid.

OSHA Area Director Brendan Claybaugh didn’t mince words either, stating that putting a child to work on a roof was “irresponsible and a violation of federal safety laws.” He also pointed out that fall hazards are well-known in the construction industry, and there’s no excuse for taking such risks.

The injured teenager is just one of 688 minors found working in hazardous occupations during fiscal year 2022 – the highest annual count since 2011.

So, what can we learn from all this? For starters, make sure you’re up to speed on the laws regarding child labor, overtime pay, and worker safety. Don’t put people – especially kids – in harm’s way just to save a few bucks.

To learn more about workplace safety, I highly recommend checking out OSHA’s Stop Falls website, which offers a wealth of information, as well as video presentations in English and Spanish

In light of the recent incident involving a teen worker’s fall and the subsequent discovery of violations in child labor, overtime, and worker safety laws, it is crucial for companies to prioritize employee safety and well-being. One of the most common workplace hazards is the risk of falls. The good news is that these accidents can be prevented with proper training and awareness.

Our company offers a comprehensive training course called “Fall Protection in Industrial and Construction Environments.” This course is designed to discuss various fall hazards that employees may encounter in their workplace and provide strategies to avoid such incidents. Our training products include both Micro-Learning and full-length online courses, as well as DVDs and interactive CD courses. Topics covered in these products include:

  • Preventing slips, trips, and falls
  • Edges, openings, and “guarding”
  • Using portable and fixed ladders
  • Working safely on scaffolding
  • Personal fall protection
  • And more

Our “Fall Protection in Industrial and Construction Environments” products are available in both English and Spanish, making it accessible to a diverse workforce.

By investing in our fall protection training course, you can ensure that your employees are well-informed about the potential hazards they may face and are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to maintain a safe working environment. Don’t let your company become the next headline due to safety violations – take action today and make safety a priority in your workplace.

Stay safe out there, folks. Remember, there’s no job worth risking your life or the lives of others.

References:

  1. https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/region3/03212023