Staffing Agencies, Employers Face OSHA Land Mine

Randy Coffey’s article “Staffing Agencies, Employers Face OSHA Land Mine” was featured in Kansas City Business Journal on September 19, 2014.

A recent analysis of workers’ compensation data by the nonprofit news organizations ProPublica found that temporary workers in California, Florida, Massachusetts, Oregon and Minnesota face a much higher risk of on-the-job injury than do permanent workers.

In the article, Randy examines the Temporary Worker Initiative established by OSHA last year. This initiative suggests that staffing agencies and host employers should enter into specific contractual agreements that cover safety and preventive measures. The initiative requires staffing agencies to inspect each workplace, inquire about safety and health hazards, and identify all hazards – whether the host company has mentioned them or not.