OSHA To Hold Meeting About Temporary Workers

It's estimated that there are approximately 12.9 million temporary workers in the United States. Unfortunately, many of these workers don't receive the same treatment by employers as full-time workers, placing them at a higher risk for illness and injury. OSHA hopes to change this trend around by hosting a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health's Temporary Workers Work Group on May 13, 2015 in Washington D.C.

According to a press release published by OSHA and NACOSH, the meeting will consist of a workgroup that focuses on the discussion of workplace safety, hazards and health problems affecting temporary workers. Experts will shed light on common health hazards plaguing temporary workers and offer guidance on how best to prevent injury and illness.

The OSHA and NACOSH meeting will take place at 11 AM in C-5515, Room C, at the Department of Labor building on 200 Constitutional Ave, NW, Washington DC 20210. It's important to note that anyone is free to attend, not just employers and temporary workers. If you are interested in attending the OSHA and NACOSH workshop, however, you should contact Ms. Gretta Jameson at (202) 693-2176 or Jameson.GrettaH@dol.gov before Tuesday, May 12.

NACOSH was first created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 with the purpose to make recommendations to secretaries of labor and worker health officials. Since then, it's become an integral part of reducing work-related injuries and illnesses.

As noted by OSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor David Michaels, host employers must treat temporary workers the same as permanent workers, which means providing them with the same necessary training personal protective equipment (PPE) as they would any other worker. This, of course, is just one step in creating a safe working environment for the nation's 12 plus million temporary workers.

"Host employers need to treat temporary workers as they treat existing employees. Temporary staffing agencies and host employers share control over the employee, and are therefore jointly responsible for temp employee's safety and health. It is essential that both employers comply with all relevant OSHA requirements," said David Michaels, PhD, MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Do you plan on attending the OSHA and NACOSH workshop? Let us know in the comments section below!