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National Safety Council urges safety for temps

December 19, 2014

The National Safety Council yesterday urged host employers and staffing agencies to coordinate and share responsibility to assure the health and safety of temporary and contract workers. The organization issued a list of recommendations for companies working with staffing agencies.

“Regardless of who signs their paycheck, the 17 million temporary workers in the US deserve safe job sites,” said Deborah Hersman, president and CEO of National Safety Council. “We encourage staffing agencies and employers to engage proactively so that all workers go home safely.”

The council’s announcement follows a special focus on temporary worker safety by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration that began last year.

Aside from working closely with staffing agencies, NSC also recommends employers:

  • Establish a policy that states clearly that all workers in all types of employment arrangements have equal rights to a safe and healthy workplace.
  • Develop and implement procedures to ensure that all workers, including temporary and contract workers, are provided a safe and healthy workplace, and that there is clarity on supervisory control.
  • Establish mandatory requirements for safety training based on the work environment and risks of job assignments to be delivered by the contract worker employer, staffing agency and/or host employer.
  • Work with contract worker employers and staffing agencies to identify how to gather and analyze appropriate information about temporary and contract workers to better understand any challenges to assuring their safety and health, and what strategies can be effective in further reducing risk.
  • Develop strategies with contract worker employers to assure roles and responsibilities associated with accountability for worker safety are clearly understood and effectively executed.
  • Monitor trends in the use of temporary and contract workers in order to address changing needs for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace for all workers.

Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council, is a nonprofit organization.