New regulations have been issued covering changes to youth employment rules. The new rules expand protections for teen employees in restaurant cooking, roofing and driving, among other changes.

The rules cover two amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act that deal with driving and the operation of compactors and balers by teenage employees.

The first change established criteria permitting 16- and 17-year-olds to load, but not operate or unload, certain waste-material baling and compacting equipment. The second change detailed what limited on-the-job driving may be performed by qualified 17-year-olds.

Provisions also modernize what types of cooking 14- and 15-year olds are permitted to perform. The new rules now permit those minors to clean and maintain cooking devices in some situations.

The rules also expand the current prohibition against youth under age 18 working in roofing occupations. All work on or about a roof, including work performed upon or in close proximity to a roof, is prohibited unless youth under 18 are in an apprenticeship or student-learner program.

The complete text of the rule is now available in the Federal Register, online at www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html and the department's Web site at www.dol.gov.