Focusing on Temp Workers' Safety

In the article, "Focusing on Temp Workers' Safety," featured in Human Resource Executive Online, attorney Howard Mavity discusses concerns over temp worker safety as the U.S. staffing market has grown over the past couple of years and continues to grow. Howard focuses on what this means for the growing number of temp workers. 

"Safety hazards don't care if you are full-time, part-time, or a temp," says Howard Mavity, a partner in the Atlanta office of Fisher Phillips and founder and co-chair of the firm's workplace safety and catastrophe management practice group. "Often, temps present the biggest safety threat because they are very much eager beaver types who are pushing to do more. The supervisor may not realize these [individuals] don't have the same safety background [as a traditional employee] and that's how some of the more terrible death cases have occurred."

"It does catch a lot of employers off guard and it's pretty rough because if they're going to bring someone on for just a few days, they may spend a disproportionate amount on training," says Mavity.

"The burden on the host employer is to ensure the temp is trained and works safely," says Mavity. "If OSHA comes onsite and the temp hasn't been adequately trained, they may cite the staffing provider, but they are principally going to go after the person directing the work."

"These associations and their core employers take the issue of temp worker safety seriously," says Mavity. "They not only comply with OSHA requirements, but propel other companies to do the same, so these initiatives are usually a force multiplier. You get good bang for your buck on them."

To read the full article, please visit Human Resource Executive Online.