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OSHA ramps up inspections of companies that use temporary help

As the number of companies using temporary workers has reached an all-time high in Wisconsin and in the U.S., OSHA is targeting companies that use temporary workers in a high priority inspection initiative.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration started the program because the number of fatal work injuries that involved contractors accounted for 12 percent of the 4,693 fatal work injuries reported in 2011. The program, which has been in effect since April, has resulted in more than 250 citations being issued in the United States.

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Many of those killed and injured are temporary workers who often perform the most dangerous jobs, have limited English proficiency and are not receiving the training and protective measures required. Workers must be safe, whether they’ve been on the job for one day or for 25 years,” said David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health.

The department is telling OSHA compliance officers to identify onsite temporary workers during compliance inspections, regardless of the original purpose for the inspection.

The officers are expected to evaluate the jobs temporary employees are performing, assess the tasks and determine if the workers have received adequate training and have the appropriate hazard protection.

The number of people working through temporary service agencies in Wisconsin in 2013 was 58,850, a 28 percent increase since 2001, according to the Department of Workforce Development.

“Over the years, a number of manufacturers have been using temporary staffing agencies as their principal source of recruitment for most entry level positions,” said John Dipko, spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. “In many instances, the only way to become employed with any of these firms is to first undergo a probationary period of employment through the staffing agency.”

This helpful advisory was provided courtesy of Mike Rubell, President of Safety Compliance Institute and the OSHA Defense League.

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