A New Partnership is Created to Promote the Safety and Health of Temporary Workers

A New Partnership is Created to Promote the Safety and Health of Temporary Workers

The alliance is between the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the American Staffing Association.

NIOSH, a part of the CDC, and the American Staffing Association (ASA) announced a five-year partnership agreement to advance the protection of temporary workers, those who are paid by a staffing company and assigned to work for a host employer company. According to a NIOSH update, the partnership will promote the best practices, support the application of research to practice, encourage staffing companies and host employers to develop and utilize safety and health management as well as effective prevention strategies and technologies.

“A key issue presented by the future of work is the growing number of nonstandard work arrangements, including employment in the temporary staffing industry,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “Through this partnership, we will increase outreach to staffing companies and host employers and provide information and resources that are vital to protecting temporary workers.”

“Protecting and promoting the safety and well-being of temporary workers has long been a top priority of the ASA and its member companies,” said Stephen C. Dwyer, Esq., ASA Senior Vice President, Chief Legal and Operating Officer. “We are proud to work together with NIOSH to raise awareness of NIOSH’s research, develop new guidance and resources, and enhance outreach and communication, especially among staffing companies.”

According to a press release NIOSH and ASA intend to work together specifically to:

  • Advance research and understanding of the value occupational safety and health brings to business and the American people
  • Explore potential areas for joint research to better understand and promote the safety and health of temporary workers
  • Develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards and disseminate such information to staffing companies, host employers and temporary workers through print and electronic media, educational conferences, meetings and other dissemination channels
  • Promote the translation of research results and the implementation of injury and illness prevention strategies and technologies among both staffing companies and host employers to better protect the safety and health of temporary workers

NIOSH and ASA first plan to tackle the dissemination of a new set of recommended practices for host employers to better protect temporary workers. These recommended practices are being developed by the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Services Sector Council. Along with other representatives throughout NORA, ASA and NIOSH worked together to make sure workers were protected all throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations ensured that temporary workers are doing essential work with protections and have access to the vaccines. The partnership will be in effect through January 2025. For more information, click here.

About the Author

Shereen Hashem is the Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety magazine.

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