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Protecting Temporary Workers										Related Pages
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**Temporary agency workers (“temporary workers”) are paid by a staffing company and assigned to a host employer. Temporary workers can have short- or long-term assignments. Research indicates that they may be at higher risk of work-related injury than permanent employees1-3. Take steps to create a safe and healthy workplace for temporary workers.**
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), host employers are responsible for protecting the safety and health of all workers, including temporary workers.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and partners recently published a document to help host employers protect the safety and health of temporary workers, Protecting temporary workers: best practices for host employers.
The best practices are organized into three sections:
Evaluation and contracting
Training for temporary workers and their worksite supervisors
Injury and illness reporting, response, and recordkeepingRegister to attend a webinar introducing the new resource, “Protecting Temporary Workers: Best Practices for Host Employers” on August 30, 2022 at 11 a.m. ET.**Evaluation and contracting**
Host employers and staffing companies should evaluate all facets of safety and health for the jobs temporary workers are hired to perform. Key activities for host employers include:
Conducting a joint risk assessment with staffing companies
Providing staffing companies with safety information
Allowing staffing companies to assess safety conditions at host worksites
Ensuring staffing companies’ commitment to safety and healthHost employers and staffing companies should divide responsibilities for temporary workers’ safety and health in a written contract specifying:
Job details (such as temporary workers’ tasks, anticipated hazards and controls in place, training each employer will provide, and personal protective equipment [PPE] responsibilities)
Communication and documentation responsibilities (such as the processes for changing job tasks and telling staffing companies about changes to hazards)
Injury and illness reporting, response, and recordkeeping responsibilities
Other aspects of workplace safety and health (such as workers’ compensation and which employer is responsible for directly supervising temporary workers)**Training for temporary workers and their worksite supervisors**
Host employers should provide site- and task-specific training in a language and vocabulary that temporary workers understand on topics including:
Approved tasks
Hazard identification and control
PPE
OSHA laws
First aid
Emergency procedures
Reporting safety and health incidents and concerns
Accessing secure sites
Safety and health program participationHost employers should also:
Assess knowledge to make sure temporary workers understand training
Document training
Evaluate staffing company training materials
Train supervisors on:
Approved tasks for temporary workers
The process for changing job tasks
Mentoring and supervision
OSHA laws
Communication and reporting
Joint responsibilities of the host employer and staffing company**Injury and illness reporting, response, and recordkeeping**
Host employer responsibilities if a temporary worker experiences an injury or illness include:
Reporting
Promote injury and illness reporting by temporary workers
Inform the staffing company of the incident
Report to OSHA
Response
Conduct joint incident investigations
Coordinate medical treatment and return to work
Recordkeeping
Record on OSHA 300 Log
Complete staffing company documentation
Fulfill records requestsThe best practices can be applied to any job. The document also includes checklists for each section, which can be completed electronically. By following these best practices, host employers can help ensure a safe, healthy, and productive workforce.**More Information**
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Temporary Worker Initiative: Protecting Temporary Workers
American Staffing Association: Safety Matters: Keeping Temporary Workers Safe on the Job
NIOSH eNews: Volume 20, Number 4 (August 2022)
OSHA NIOSH Recommended Practices, Protecting Temporary Workers, 2014-139 (cdc.gov)**References**
Al-Tarawneh IS, Wurzelbacher SJ, Bertke SJ [2020]. Comparative analysis of workers’ compensation claims of injury among temporary and permanent employed workers in Ohio. Am J Ind Med 63:3–22.
Foley M [2017]. Factors underlying observed injury rate differences between temporary workers and permanent peers. Am J Ind Med 60(10):841–851.
Howard J [2017]. Nonstandard work arrangements and worker health and safety. Am J Ind Med 60:1–10.Top of Page
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  August 15, 2022						Source: 	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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