A Tennessee manufacturer was fined nearly $300,000 for employing minors to operate dangerous equipment, the Labor Department announced Monday.
Tuff Torq Corp., which makes outdoor power-equipment components for such brands as John Deere, Toro and Yamaha, also must set aside $1.5 million in profits for the 10 children it employed, according to a consent judgment entered in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “Our work will help prevent the next death or injury by ensuring Tuff Torq takes immediate and significant steps to stop the illegal employment of children,” said Jessica Looman, wage and hour division administrator at the Labor Department, in a statement.The $296,951 fine comes amid aof child labor violations across the country, with citations reaching levels not seen in nearly two decades.
They objected to the shipment of goods out of the Morristown facility, citing the “hot goods” provision of federal labor law, which disallows the sale of goods produced with illegal labor.