• Teenagers cannot work as many hours or in as dangerous of jobs as adults.teens image by Sandra Henderson from Fotolia.com
  
  Teenage workers in the U.S. cannot work as many hours or in as many hazardous jobs as adult workers can. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations for teens are designed to help protect them from unsafe and unfair work conditions, since teens may not be able to juggle work and school or handle difficult work as well as adults.
  
  

Hazardous Occupations

• The OSHA explains that the Fair Labor Standards Act does not allow teens to work in any potentially hazardous jobs, including mining, excavation, making explosives, and operating lots of power-driven equipment. Workers younger than 16 also cannot cook, climb ladders, work in warehouses, work in construction or unload trucks and railroad cars.
  
  

Safety

• According to the OSHA, employers are responsible for making safe workplaces for teen workers. The OSHA says that teens have the right to proper training about safety procedures, to use proper safety equipment when necessary and to ask for payment for medical care if they get sick or hurt because of work.
  
  

Hours

• The OSHA explains that teen workers younger than 16 cannot work as many hours as older workers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 14- and 15-year-old workers cannot work during school hours, more than three hours on a school day, before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m. during the school year, more than eight hours on a non-school day, more than 18 hours during a school week or more than 40 hours during a non-school week.
  
  

Wages

• Teen workers can demand payment for their work just like any other workers. In most cases, employers must pay teens at least the state minimum wage, although minimum wages may be lower for employees who receive tips.