OSHA Protecting Temporary Workers

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Services Sector Council—in partnership with the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), the American Staffing Association (ASA), and the Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program within Washington State’s Department of Labor and Industries—have released a new set of best practices, Protecting Temporary Workers: Best Practices for Host Employers, to help host employers better protect the safety and health of temporary workers.

Research shows that the risk of experiencing a work-related injury may be higher for temporary workers compared to non-temporary workers. This new resource provides detailed best practices for host employers that are applicable across industries and occupations. It is organized into three areas:

1) How to evaluate and address workplace safety and health in a written contract
2) Training for temporary workers and their worksite supervisors
3) Injury and illness reporting, response, and recordkeeping

The document also includes scenarios of how host employers can implement the best practices as well as checklists that can be printed or completed electronically. There is also a complementary slide deck staffing companies can use to educate their host employer clients about the best practices.

Through the Temporary Worker Initiative, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued numerous guidance documents outlining the joint safety and health responsibilities of staffing companies and host employers. This new resource builds on this work by providing an in-depth set of best practices for host employers to follow and supporting materials to facilitate their implementation.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact the NORA Coordinator at NORACoordinator@cdc.gov

NYSCAL Contact:

Linda O’Connell
Coordinator of NYSCAL Member Support
528-462-4800 X13