Prohibited Duties	in Spanish

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	Related L&I Topics >  Prohibited Duties for Minors in Agricultural Jobs
	Other Web Sites >  U.S. Department of Labor Non-Agricultural Child Labor Regulations

Work activities teens are prohibited from doing in non-agricultural jobs

Experience has shown some jobs are potentially hazardous for young workers. Washington State and federal laws spell out which jobs are prohibited for minor workers.

For a list of jobs that youth CAN do according to age, see the U.S. Department of Labor's information on YouthRules! The list is a sample and is not all-inclusive.

On this page

• All minors under 18 are prohibited from doing the following work in any industry.
• Additional prohibited job duties for all minors under 16.

IMPORTANT: All these duties are prohibited regardless of the type of industry. This list includes only the main highlights of the child labor regulations. For more detail, see the regulations linked at the bottom of each section.

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All minors under 18 are prohibited from doing the following work in any industry

Prohibited duties in restaurants and delis and grocery stores

• Operating meat slicers or powered bakery equipment such as a Hobart mixer.
• Regular driving of motor vehicles to make deliveries, such as pizza delivery.
  (No driving at all allowed for those 16 or under)
  (See Administrative Policy - Driving by Minors in Non-Agricultural Jobs- ES.C.4.3) (52 KB)
• Driving a forklift.
• Working at heights greater than 10 feet off the ground or floor level.
• Loading, operating or unloading of paper balers and compactors.
• Work in freezers and meat coolers in processing facilities.
• Slaughtering, meat packing or food processing.
• Working alone past 8 p.m. without supervision by someone 18 years or older who is on the premises at all times.

Prohibited duties in construction-related activities

• Roofing - All work on or around a roof.
• Working at heights greater than 10 feet off the ground.
• Wrecking and demolition.
• Elevators, hoists and cranes.
• Flagging.
• Trenching or excavating.
• Boilers or in engine rooms.
• Power-driven woodworking machines.
• Earth-moving machines.
• Explosives.
• Mining.

  * Note: Those who are 16 and older can perform certain tasks related to electrical work that are not otherwise prohibited. Information about the electrical trainee application can be obtained at the L&I Trades and Licensing Electrical Trainee Requirements web page.

Other prohibited job duties

• 17-year-olds may drive only under very limited circumstances.
  (See Administrative Policy - Driving by Minors in Non-Agricultural Jobs- ES.C.4.3) (52 KB)
• Firefighting.
• Logging and sawmill work.
• Selling candy, flowers, or other items to motorists on a public roadway.
• Work performed more than 10 feet above ground or floor level.
• Manufacturing of brick, tile and similar products.
• Jobs where exposures require the use of respiratory protection or hearing protection.
• Work in saunas or massage parlors.
• Nurses' aide or nurses' assistant, unless the minor is in a state-certified program.
• Jobs with possible exposure to bodily fluids, or radioactive and hazardous substances.
  (See Administrative Policy - Bloodborne Pathogens and Minors - ES.C.4.2)

For more details, see:

WAC 296-125-030 for Prohibited and Hazardous Employment for All Minors

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Additional prohibited duties for minors under 16

• Driving an automobile.
• House-to-house sales.
• Cooking and baking.
• Operating or cleaning meat slicers.
• Operating food processors.
• Any power-driven machinery.
• Construction.
• Manufacturing.
• Processing operations.
• Public messenger.
• Amusement parks.
• Loading or unloading trucks.
• Transportation, warehouse, storage and work around conveyors.
• Ladders and scaffolds, including window washing.
• Maintenance and repair in gas stations.

For more details, see:

WAC 296-125-033 for additional restrictions for those under 16.

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For more information, see the L&I publication:
Teens at Work: Facts for Employers, Parents and Teens (106 KB PDF)

For more detail, see L&I Administrative Policy:
Bloodborne Pathogens and Minors (ES.C.4.2) (114 KB PDF)
Driving by Minors in Non-Agricultural Jobs- ES.C.4.3) (52 KB)

For more detail, see Washington Administrative Code:
Prohibited and hazardous employment for all minors (WAC 296-125-030)
Additional restrictions for those under 16 (WAC 296-125-033)
Non-agricultural Employment of Minors (WAC 296-125)

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