OSHA and American Staffing Association Renew Temporary Workers Alliance
The five-year agreement will continue to educate workers about their rights.
OSHA announced that it has renewed its alliance with the American Staffing Association, an agreement intended to protect temporary workers from workplace hazards. The agency says all workers have the right to be safe, regardless of how long they have been on the job.
"It is part of our mission to make sure that at the end of every work shift, all temporary workers in the United States are able to go home safely to their families," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "Through our continued alliance with the ASA, we will increase outreach to staffing agencies and host employers and provide information and education that is essential to protecting temporary workers."
The agreement lasts five years, with the intent to educate workers about their rights as well as train staffing firms and their clients on their responsibilities to protect workers. Previous initiatives include webinars on topics such as obligations of host employers, share responsibility, Ebola, and more.
During the recent National Safety Congress & Expo, the National Safety Council announced it has published a joint case study with the American Staffing Association about the safety obligations of staffing companies and host employers that put temporary employees to work.
"The case study illustrates how lack of communication and coordination between a staffing firm and a host employer can adversely impact the well-being of a temporary worker," said Amy K. Harper, Ph.D., director of workplace strategy and Journey to Safety Excellence at the council. "Each employer must know and reliably carry out their respective roles in hazard identification, safety training, and injury reporting and recording."