OSHA Has a Temporary Worker Web Page

As a business owner or HR professional responsible for hiring temporary workers this spring you will be happy to know that OSHA has some resources on its web site to help answer some common questions.

One such question is, “Who is responsible for maintaining injury and illness (II) records at multi-employer sites?”

OSHA and NIOSH jointly prepared a guide entitled, “Protecting Temporary Workers (NIOSH Publication No. 2014-139 or OSHA 3735-2014)” that has helpful information for employers.

This guide recommends that both the host employer and the staffing agency should track illnesses and injuries, and where possible, investigate the cause of workplace injuries. However, OSHA requires that injury and illness records be maintained by the employer who is providing day-to-day supervision, (i.e., controlling the means and manner of the temporary employees’ work – 29 CFR 10904.31(b)(4).

In 2013, OSHA announced it’s Temporary Worker Initiative. Last year OSHA published the first of three TWI Bulletins. Two additional Bulletins were published this month. You can download the joint guide, the OSHA Bulletins and other information from the OSHA’s “Protecting Temporary Workers”web page.