WHD Administrator’s Interpretation No. 2012-1: Pine Straw Industry under the MSPA, the FLSA, and the OSH Act Field Sanitation Standards

WHD Administrator’s Interpretation No. 2012-1: Pine Straw Industry under the MSPA, the FLSA, and the OSH Act Field Sanitation Standards

 On December 12, 2012, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor issued Administrator Interpretation 2012-1: Pine Straw Industry under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) Field Sanitation Standards (FSS).

The Administrator Interpretation is available on the WHD website at: http://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/adminIntrprtn/Agrcltr/2012/AG2012_1.pdf

The Administrator has determined that additional clarification is needed concerning the application of the MSPA, FLSA, and OSH Act FSS to activities in connection with the raking, gathering, baling, and loading of pine straw gathered from pine trees grown for commercial timber, as described below. The Administrator is issuing this interpretation to provide needed guidance to ensure these laws are properly applied to this industry and that workers are properly protected.

For more information, see the following materials on the WHD website:

 

·         Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act Homepage 

·         Fair Labor Standards Act Homepage

·         Fact Sheet #63A: Application of Federal Labor Laws to Pine Straw (PDF)