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Do employers need to protect temporary workers?

On Behalf of | Jan 7, 2015 | Workers' Compensation

In today’s economy not everyone is a full time employee. In fact, there are a lot of different arrangements that a person can fit into. Some employees can be part-time, others are independent contractors and some are only temporary workers. With all these different options, people may wonder whether employers are responsible for keeping these employees safe. In particular, temporary workers that may not be at one place for a long time may question if they are protected at work.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, temporary workers do have the right to be safe at work. However, unlike permanent employees — whether full or part time — temporary workers may have different sources of protection.

Under OSHA regulations, the staffing agency that hires the temporary worker and the employer that uses the temporary worker have a shared responsibility when it comes to keeping the worker safe. This means that the temporary worker is the joint responsibly of both employers. These employers, therefore, have the joint responsibly to train the employee, to ensure proper recordkeeping is done and that any hazards are communicated to the employee.

OSHA says that temporary workers are often placed at risk in the workplace because of the lack of communication to the employee. They often do not receive adequate safety training to keep them safe on the job. Therefore, if a workplace accident occurs, these workers can face injury. In these cases, OSHA can hold both employers responsible.

While this blog post cannot help to assign responsibility in any particular case, an attorney can help people decide if they have a claim against a staffing agency or a host employer following an injury to a temporary worker.