McDonald’s franchisee penalized for child labor safety violations
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The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced on Thursday penalties against a McDonald’s franchise in Morristown, Tennessee, after a 15-year-old employee suffered hot oil burns while using a deep fryer.
While conducting a wage and hour investigation, OSHA discovered that Faris Enterprises of TN LLC, operator of the McDonald’s restaurant, illegally allowed the teenager to cook fries using a hot-oil deep fryer without an automatic basket used to lower and raise contents.
The teen was burned when attempting to manually remove fries from the device.
A date of the incident was not given.
The company was issued a $3,258 civil penalty for the child labor violation.
OSHA said that since 2018 it has seen an “alarming increase” in federal child labor violations, including allowing minors to operate equipment or undertake work that puts them in danger of becoming injured.
Meanwhile, a California lawn service company has been cited by OSHA over claims it allowed employees to operate industrial lawnmowers without proper safety features during work at a U.S. Army base.
OSHA on Friday announced proposed penalties of $198,667 against Roseville, California-based PRIDE Industries, which had been contracted to do lawn care work at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in September 2022.
The company “willfully allowed” workers to operate zero-turn radius mowers without belt guards installed, and it put employees at risk of crushing injuries or death in potential rollover situations by allowing workers to operate the lawn mowers on steep slopes, OSHA stated.
OSHA said the company’s actions also exposed workers to potential eye injuries and lacerations.
The company has 15 days to contest the penalties.
