Young workers in tree work, United States: the hazardous orders and hours limits
What the federal child labor rules in 29 CFR Part 570 say about workers aged 14 to 17 and the machines and equipment that tree crews use: chain saws, wood chippers, cranes and bucket trucks.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The rules are the federal ones from the Department of Labor, published in Part 570 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Section 570.50(a) says nothing in the subpart authorizes non-compliance with any federal or state law, regulation or municipal ordinance that sets a higher standard, and where more than one standard applies to an activity the higher one governs. State rules are not covered here. The guide on safety rules by country sets out the wider rules for crews.
Ages 16 and 17
The Department of Labor has declared certain occupations "particularly hazardous" for minors between 16 and 18 years of age. Two of those orders name equipment tree crews use.
Order 14: saws and chippers (section 570.65)
The text of section 570.65 names, as particularly hazardous, the occupations of operator of or helper on power-driven fixed or portable chain saws, reciprocating saws, wood chippers and abrasive cutting discs. It names circular saws, band saws and guillotine shears too, except machines equipped with full automatic feed and ejection. It also names setting up, adjusting, repairing, oiling or cleaning any of these machines. The section defines a chain saw as a machine that has teeth linked together to form an endless chain used for cutting materials. It defines a wood chipper as a machine with a feed mechanism, knives mounted on a rotating chipper disc or drum, and a power plant, used to reduce material such as tree branches, trunk segments and landscape waste to chips. A helper is a person who assists by helping place materials into or remove them from the machine. The section does not apply to apprentices or student-learners under the conditions in section 570.50(b) and (c).
Order 7: hoisting apparatus (section 570.58)
The text of section 570.58 names work of operating, tending, riding upon, working from, repairing, servicing or disassembling an elevator, crane, derrick, hoist or high-lift truck as particularly hazardous for minors between 16 and 18. It says tending includes assisting in the hoisting tasks. Its definition of high-lift truck includes backhoes, front-end loaders, skid-steer loaders and similar machines. Its definition of manlift includes truck- or equipment-mounted aerial platforms, boom-type mobile elevating work platforms, cherry pickers, basket hoists and bucket trucks.
The exemption conditions
Section 570.50 sets the conditions for the apprentice and student-learner exemptions. For an apprentice, the work in the hazardous occupations must be incidental to training, intermittent, for short periods and under the direct and close supervision of a fully qualified tradesperson, and the apprentice must be registered with the Department of Labor or a recognised state agency, or employed under a conforming written agreement. For a student-learner, the person must be enrolled in a cooperative vocational training program or similar course, under a written agreement that makes the hazardous work incidental to training, intermittent and under close supervision.
Ages 14 and 15
The text of section 570.33 lists occupations that are prohibited to minors 14 and 15 years old, and says the list is not exhaustive. Paragraph (e) covers occupations that involve operating, tending, setting up, adjusting, cleaning, oiling or repairing any power-driven machinery, including lawn mowers, golf carts, all-terrain vehicles, trimmers, cutters, weed-eaters and edgers. Paragraph (k) covers loading and unloading of goods or property onto or from motor vehicles, with an exception for personal non-power-driven hand tools, protective equipment and personal items.
The text of section 570.35 sets the hours for the permissible jobs for 14 and 15 year olds, in the table below.
| When | Limit |
|---|---|
| Any time | Outside school hours |
| School not in session | 40 hours in a week, 8 hours in a day |
| School in session | 18 hours in a week, 3 hours in a day |
| Hours of day | Between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., or until 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day |
What OSHA says
The agency's own young workers page says young workers have rights on the job and that the employer has the responsibility to provide a safe workplace. The page lists safety topics and names no age limits. The child labor rules above are the Department of Labor's, not OSHA's.
Sources
- eCFR, 29 CFR 570.65 operation of saws and wood chippers, Order 14, read October 9, 2026
- eCFR, 29 CFR 570.58 power-driven hoisting apparatus, Order 7, read October 9, 2026
- eCFR, 29 CFR 570.33 occupations prohibited to minors 14 and 15 years of age, read October 9, 2026
- eCFR, 29 CFR 570.35 hours of work for minors 14 and 15 years of age, read October 9, 2026
- eCFR, 29 CFR 570.50 general, apprentices and student-learners, read October 9, 2026
- OSHA, young workers page, read October 9, 2026