Feds slap fine on Kentucky warehouse accused of allowing child to operate forklift

The Labor Department issued a fine for a Kentucky warehouse last week after an investigation found it allowed a child to operate a forklift.

The Labor Department said in a press release that it fined WIN.IT America Inc. for $30,276 in civil money penalties after violating child labor provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act. Investigators found that the company employed two children, an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old, for months at its distribution center.

“Businesses must comply with the federal child labor regulations,” Labor Department regional solicitor Tremelle Howard said in a statement. “Federal law ensures young workers can benefit by gaining valuable work experience without endangering their safety or hampering their education.”

The violations include employing one child to operate a forklift and tasking another to pick up orders in the warehouse. Operating a forklift is a hazardous occupation for those under 18, while picking orders is prohibited for those under 16 years old, the department said.

The company also reportedly employed both of the children for more hours than what is legally allowed and was also in violation of regulations that prohibit workers under the age of 14 from working in nonagricultural occupations.

“When we find child labor violations, the Department of Labor will not hesitate to use all enforcement tools available to compel compliance, including stopping the shipment of goods created and produced while the business was breaking the law to do so,” Howard said.

The Labor Department noted that in 2022 labor violations in the U.S. affected 3,876 children nationwide.

The Hill has reached out to WIN.IT for comment.