Within the last year, there have been remarkable changes to the way OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) views temporary staff and the agencies that help them find jobs. Staffing agencies as well as the companies who hire temporary employees are mutually responsible for having a safe working environment which included OSHA training, recordkeeping and keeping up to date with hazard communication.
OSHA has some tips for both parties to follow:
- The key is communication between the agency and the host to ensure that the necessary protections are provided.
- Staffing agencies have a duty to inquire into the conditions of their workers' assigned workplaces. They must ensure that they are sending workers to a safe workplace.
- Ignorance of hazards is not an excuse.
- Staffing agencies need not become experts on specific workplace hazards, but they should determine what conditions exist at their client (host) agencies, what hazards may be encountered, and how best to ensure protection for the temporary workers.
- The staffing agency has the duty to inquire and verify that the host has fulfilled its responsibilities for a safe workplace.
After hiring temporary staff make sure to check out all the information OSHA provides for you. If you have any questions regarding OSHA regulations, or with help satisfying your temporary staffing needs, please contact Bear Staffing.
1 https://www.osha.gov/temp_workers/