Clayton News-Daily reports that a supermarket in Jonesboro was fined for allowing a 16-year-old to operate a meat slicer.
After a 16-year-old lost one finger and severely injured another while operating a meat slicer, the supermarket was fined $47,115. The Tienda Y Carniceria La Unica 2, located on Mt. Zion Road was fined by that U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division. Allowing an employee under the age of 18 to operate a slicer is against federal law. While investigating this violation, the agency also found that the business did not keep proper time and payroll records. This is another violation of federal law.
An employee who answered the phone said that they were not aware of the incident. They also refused to put media in touch with the owner of the business. The owner is William Napoleon Garcia, who fled the civil war in El Salvador in 1980.
Garcia built his business from nothing and is one of Atlanta’s leading Hispanic businessmen.
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The Federal Department of Labor enforces more than 180 federal laws. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) covers the standards for wages and overtime pay, including the federal minimum wage. The Occupational Health and Safety Act says that employers have a duty to provide employees with work and a workplace free from safety hazards. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is the organization charged with ensuring that workplaces adhere to the regulations that are set forth in the OSH Act. Enforcement is carried out through inspections, self-reporting, and investigations. If violations are found, OSHA can fine businesses.