§ 21-6-2 — Employment of children under eighteen in certain occupations; determination as to other occupations; exemptions for certain students performing roofing operations

West Virginia § 21-6-2

• Jurisdiction: West Virginia
• Ch. 21: LABOR
• Art. 6: CHILD LABOR

Text

(a) A child under 18 years of age may not be employed, permitted, or suffered to work in, about, or in connection with any of the following occupations:

(1) Motor vehicle driver and outside helper whose work includes riding on a motor vehicle outside the cab for the purpose of assisting in transporting or delivery of goods;

(2) The manufacture, storage, handling or transportation of explosives or highly flammable substances;

(3) Ore reduction works, smelters, hot rolling mills, furnaces, foundries, forging shops, or in any other place in which the heating, melting, or heat treatment of metals is carried on;

(4) Logging and saw milling occupations;

(5) Power-driven woodworking machine occupations;

(6) Occupations involving exposure to radioactive substances and ionizing radiations;

(7) Power-driven hoisting apparatus occupations;

(8) Power-driven metal-forming, punching, and shearing machine occupations;

(9) Mining, including coal mining;

(10) Occupations involving slaughtering, meat-packing, or processing or rendering;

(11) Power-driven bakery machines;

(12) Power-driven paper-products machine occupations;

(13) Occupations involved in the manufacturing of brick, tile, and kindred products;

(14) Occupations involved in the operation of power-driven circular saws, band saws, and guillotine shears;

(15) Occupations involved in wrecking, demolition, and ship-breaking operations;

(16) Roofing operations above ground level, subject to subsection (d) of this section; and

(17) Excavation operations.

(b) A child under 18 years of age may not be employed or permitted to work in a bar, or be permitted, employed, or suffered to sell, dispense, or serve alcoholic beverages in any place or establishment where the consumption of alcoholic beverages is permitted by law.

(c) A child under 18 years of age may not be employed or permitted to work in any occupation prohibited by law or determined by the commissioner to be dangerous or injurious:Provided, That a child between the ages of 16 and 18 years who is enrolled in, participating in, or has completed the minimum training requirements of the West Virginia State Fire Commission, West Virginia Department of Education Public Service Training, or West Virginia University fire service extension, or equivalent approved program, and who has the written consent of his or her parents or guardian, may be employed by or elected as a member of a volunteer fire department to perform firefighting functions:Provided, however, That no child may be permitted to operate any fire fighting vehicles, enter a burning building in the course of his or her employment or work or enter into any area determined by the fire chief or fireman in charge at the scene of a fire or other emergency to be an area of danger exposing the child to physical harm by reason of impending collapse of a building or explosion, unless the child is under the immediate supervision of a fire line officer.

(d) Students enrolled in a Youth Apprenticeship Program pursuant to §18-2-7g of this code are authorized to work on machinery associated with occupations listed in §21-6-2(a) of this code only on an occasional and incidental basis while under mandatory direct supervision. For the purposes of this section, the term “occasional and incidental use” means use done for training purposes and for no more than five percent of the student’s training hours a day.

(e) In compliance with U.S. Child Labor Provisions for nonagricultural occupations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Child Labor Bulletin 101, exemptions shall be made for students 16 years of age or older performing roofing operations above ground level for the express purpose of learning how to install, wire, or repair a rooftop or other equipment provided the student is employed under the following conditions:

(1) The student is enrolled in a course of study and training in a cooperative vocational training program under a recognized state or local educational authority or in a course of study in a substantially similar program conducted by a private school;

(2) Written consent of the parent or legal guardian for the student to perform roofing operations pursuant to this subsection is submitted to both the cooperative vocational training program or private school, as applicable, and the employer; and

(3) The student is employed under a written agreement which stipulates that:

(A) The work will be intermittent and under the direct and close supervision of a qualified and experienced person;

(B) Safety instruction will be provided by the school and coordinated with the employer through on-the-job training; and

(C) A schedule of organized and progressive work processes be performed.

(f) Other limited exemptions for nonagricultural work in compliance with U.S. Child Labor Provisions for nonagricultural occupations under the Fair Standards Act, Child Labor Bulletin 101 may be permitted by the department.

Legislative History

2026 Reg. Sess., HB4005; 2024 Reg. Sess., HB5162; 2018 Reg. Sess., HB4436; 2002 Reg. Sess., HB4430; 1981 Reg. Sess., SB308; 1975 Reg. Sess., SB487; 1943 Reg. Sess., HB210; 1939 Reg. Sess., HB234