Temp Worker Injuries Sure To Get The OSHA Fisheye

The agency’s working assumption is that temporary workers are at increased risk for work-related injury and illness, in part because they are sometimes left out of safety training and safety assessments. That means, explains this post from Foley & Lardner, that if a temporary employee is injured and OSHA investigates, it will look carefully at what kind of training preceded the incident, as well as the status of any equipment involved and any procedures that were or were not in place. Both the host employer and the staffing agency may be cited by OSHA, which goes on to recommend measures that both parties should take to address safety hazards and reduce potential liability. Among the recommendations: that staffing agencies inquire about potential hazards, and that host employers require the staffing agency to document training the potential temporary worker has had or any competencies he or she has demonstrated related to the work to be performed.