Fewer inspectors are in the field. Regulations limiting the maximum number of hours of work and prohibitions against use of dangerous machinery by children have not been adequately enforced. Although precise data are lacking, the portion of all adolescent injuries that are work-related appears to be substantial. Exposures in childhood and adolescence may result in serious diseases in adulthood. Children on farms are permitted under the FLSA to operate heavy equipment at younger ages than in other sectors of American industry.
Serious injuries occur on family farms as well as in commercial agriculture.
Employed children risk not having enough time for homework and being tired on school days. Child labor also interferes with the normal, necessary play of children. The exemptions in the FLSA that allow young children in agriculture to work with pesticides and heavy machinery need to be stricken from the law. More field inspectors are needed. Hazardous jobs, such as farm labor, lawn care, and fast-food delivery services, need to receive special attention by inspectors.