Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The number of staffing agencies and temporary workers grew rapidly during the end of the last century, and the types of alternative work arrangements continue to proliferate. There now are several types of workers in “nonstandard work arrangements.”
Temporary workers have a higher overall injury rate than permanent workers in the same occupations, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers found in a study of Ohio workers’ compensation claims.
Conducive cultures can be the most effective tool in achieving safety results. High-performance organizations realize alignment of safety cultures is becoming the core responsibility of not just the contractor, but those engaging them as well.
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited a food manufacturer and staffing agency, seeking over $300,000 in penalties, for lockout/tagout and other violations after a temporary worker lost two fingers cleaning dough-rolling machinery.
As part of its Temporary Worker Initiative, OSHA has provided guidance on the responsibilities of temporary-worker staffing agencies and host employers to protect temporary workers under the federal Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) standard (29 CFR 1910.147).
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is on track to settle once and for all the question of what constitutes joint employment, and the standard being pursued is seen as employer-friendly for those that use a franchise business model as well as those using temporary staffing agencies.
Temporary staffing agencies (or primary employers) and entities who are sent temporary employees (or host employers) may agree that temporary workers are entitled to all the worker protections full-time employees receive, but they may not agree or even know which employer is responsible for ensuring that those protections are implemented.
OSHA recently renewed its alliance with the American Staffing Association with the goal of protecting temporary employees from workplace hazards.
OSHA’s inspection of an Auburn, Alabama, automobile parts manufacturer concluded that both permanent and temporary employees faced serious danger. Keep reading to find out what action the agency took, and why you need to be vigilant about protecting temporary workers.