Take Temps' Safety Seriously, VPPPA31 Speakers Advise

"It is a serious issue. It's the number of serious violations that were found. It means that many employees were at risk of serious injury," Norman R. Deitch said.

GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Any safety professional who has been paying attention during 2015 knows that OSHA has been paying close attention to employers' use of temporary employees. Not in all sectors, granted, but in some of the industries that use contractors and temporary employees the most -- OSHA's looking at you, health care -- the pressure is higher.

Two speakers at the #VPPPA31 conference presented an outstanding session on ensuring temps' safety, and whether the staffing agencies or the host employer is responsible.

"Suffice it to say, OSHA is taking this issue very, very seriously," said Norman R. Deitch, OHST, senior vice president of Iselin, N.J.-based EHS Excellence Consulting. A former OSHA employee, he said OSHA's inspectors are using a newly created code to denote these companies' violations. His co-presenter was Brian Bennett, Ph.D., CSP, president of EHS Excellence Consulting. During FY2014, OSHA's inspectors conducted 944 inspections, 626 of which resulted in citations issued. Proposed penalties for all of the inspections totaled about $11.8 million, Deitch said.

"It is a serious issue. It's the number of serious violations that were found. It means that many employees were at risk of serious injury," Deitch said. He said electrical, machine guarding, and fall protection hazards were among the top violations cited.

Both host employers and temporary employee agencies--temp agencies--have been cited by OSHA this year; both are responsible for providing a safe work environment, he explained. Which party is in the best position to identify and correct hazards and to ensure OSHA compliance should be agreed upon in the contract, he said, adding that staffing companies have a duty to inquire about working conditions and to verify the host employer has fulfilled its responsibility to provide a safe work environment.

Product Showcase

  • Magid® D-ROC® GPD412 21G Ultra-Thin Polyurethane Palm Coated Work Gloves

    Magid’s 21G line is more than just a 21-gauge glove, it’s a revolutionary knitting technology paired with an advanced selection of innovative fibers to create the ultimate in lightweight cut protection. The latest offering in our 21G line provides ANSI A4 cut resistance with unparalleled dexterity and extreme comfort that no other 21-gauge glove on the market can offer! Read More

  • Safety Knives

    The Safety Knife Company has developed a quality range of safety knives for all industries. Designed so that fingers cannot get to the blades, these knives will safely cut through cardboard, tape, strapping, shrink or plastic wrap or a variety of other packing materials. Because these knives have no exposed blades and only cut cardboard deep, they will not only protect employees against lacerations but they will also save product. The Metal Detectable versions have revolutionary metal detectable polypropylene knife bodies specifically for the food and pharmaceutical industries. This material can be detected and rejected by typical detection machines and is X-ray visible. Read More

  • HAZ LO HEADLAMPS

    With alkaline or rechargeable options, these safety rated, Class 1, Div. 1 Headlamps provide long runtime with both spot and flood options in the same light. Work safely and avoid trip hazards with flexible hands-free lighting from Streamlight. Read More

Featured

Artificial Intelligence

Webinars