Keeping Temporary Employees Safe

Do you have temporary workers at your jobsite?  Have you trained them on how to safely perform tasks which have been assigned to them?

Oftentimes, when a temporary worker has been hired, they may not receive the same training that a full-time employee receives. This may result in an improperly trained employee who may be unaware of the potential hazards associated with the job and measures necessary to protect themselves. Not only does this increase the risk for the employee but can harm other employees as well as your company’s success.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA’s attention to temporary workers has increased because of the rise in incidents and deaths. Former OSHA administrator, David Michaels, said, “No worker’s first day on the job should be their last day of their life.” At the time, he was referencing a temporary worker who lost his life on the first day of the job. OSHA investigations found that neither the employee nor his co-workers received training in a simple procedure that would have saved this worker’s life. Because of incidents like that, OSHA has created several temporary worker initiative bulletins to assist employers that utilize temporary workers.
 

OSHA Training Requirements:

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, all workers have the right to safe working conditions, and employers have the duty to provide necessary safety and health training to all workers in every workplace. Host employers (the company who hires a temporary employee), and staffing agencies alike, share a responsibility to ensure that temporary workers receive adequate training and work in non-hazardous environments. Host employers must treat temporary workers like any other worker in terms of training, safety, and health protections.  Confusion can be eliminated by providing the staffing agency with a good job description, and clear communication / documentation as to the responsibilities of both the host employer and the staffing agency for training, occupational health exams, or provision of personal protective equipment.  If found in violation of OSHA standards of safety and health the employer and staffing agency may jointly share responsibility.
 

Who is Responsible for OSHA Recording & Reporting? 

Most host employers supervise and assign the work of the temporary employee. Because of this, OSHA views the temporary employee as an employee of the host agency for recording and reporting requirements. If your company is required to keep records, then an injury must be recorded on the host employers’ log.  If a temporary employee experiences a severe injury, it may need to be reported to OSHA.  More information about injury and illness recordkeeping can be found on OSHA's website.

If you have any questions regarding the safety of temporary employees call LandrumHR’s Risk Management team at 800-888-0472 or send us an email at safety@landrumhr.com.