WL Plastics Manufacturing in Titusville has to pay a $6,399 penalty after the U.S. Department of Labor launched an investigation into how a 17-year-old worker suffered a minor on the job injury. 

The U.S. Department of Labor found the employer allowed the youth to illegally operate a forklift, a hazardous occupation under federal child labor law.

Federal law prohibits workers under the age of 18 from operating hazardous equipment such as a forklift. 

The department's Wage & Hour Division assessed the over $6,000 civil money penalty against WL Plastics as a result of the child labor violation. The employer already has paid the penalty according to the department. 

Additionally, during the department's review, the division also determined that the company failed to pay proper overtime wages to 60 employees by not including safety bonuses in their wage calculations. 

The division said the company also violated the Fair Labor Standards Act. From there the division was able to recover a total of $10,361 in back wages and liquidated damages for the affected workers. 

More information on the Department of Labor's Wage & Hour Division can be found here.