OSHA Enforcement Cases Involving Temps On the Rise
Three cases announced in the past week involved temporary workers allegedly exposed to hazards or hurt on the job.
OSHA's emphasis on the safety of temporary workers is being driven home by a series of enforcement actions. The latest case announcement on June 19 involved the Macon, Ga., facility of a company named California Cereal Products Inc., which OSHA has cited for exposing full-time and temporary workers to electrical, fall, and noise hazards, with proposed penalties totaling $40,600. OSHA opened an inspection last December based on a complaint.
"The employer has failed to protect full-time and temporary workers from easily identified workplace hazards that can result in death or permanent disability," said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office.
The case against beverage bottling company Maplewood Beverage Packers LLC and temporary employment agency Corporate Resource Services Corp. in Elizabeth, N.J., also began with a December 2013 investigation, but it started with a referral from the Maplewood Fire Department after a temporary worker was injured falling from a ladder. OSHA has proposed $182,270 in penalties. "Host employers and staffing agencies are jointly responsible for ensuring worker safety and health," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office. "Employers must protect all workers from job hazards-both permanent and temporary workers."