Multiple sources point to the greater likelihood of temp workers being injured more often on the job than permanent workers. Many critics blame a lack of safety training and appropriate penalties on the causes behind this disparity.
Examples of Workplace Injuries Involving Temp Workers
Some workplace injuries that involve temp workers are serious and involve catastrophic injuries, such as amputations while others cause fatalities. Some examples of recent work injuries involving temporary workers are discussed below.
In October 2018, a 19-year-old temp worker was sent to a Los Angeles food company where his hand got caught in an unguarded machine. It was his first time trying to clean the machine. The temporary agency who employed the worker was cited for failing to provide adequate safety training while the host organization was cited for willful violations. In April, Cal/OSHA fined the host company more than $250,000 because of the teen’s accident. The temporary agency that employed him was charged a fraction of this at $29,250. Cal/OSHA said that the machine’s guarding was substandard due to not preventing fingers from slipping through. However, both companies have contested the citations and are appealing them.
A review of state safety records showed that the staffing company involved in the accidents listed above had been cited for safety violations in at least 11 different incidents, including one that involved the death of a worker and four others that involved worker injuries.
The staffing agency that hired the 19-year-old was fined more than $45,000 in 2016 when one of its temporary employees was killed in a forklift accident at a recycling plant for failing to properly train employees. The staffing agency has appealed the citation.
The host company was cited for similar violations as those involved in the teen’s case in 2015 and others in 2012 when one worker suffered a crushed hand while another lost fingers while working. In 2015, it was cited for serious safety violations
Statistics on Temp Worker Injuries
Multiple studies reveal that temporary workers suffer higher rates of injury than permanent employers do. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 349 temporary workers were killed on the job between 2003 and 2017.
Reasons for Temp Worker Injuries
One of the leading causes for temporary worker injuries is the lack of safety training. A study in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine revealed that temporary workers are less likely to get safety training while being more likely to file workers’ compensation claims than permanent workers. While state and federal laws require employers to train temporary workers just as they are responsible for training their permanent employees. However, since temporary workers often work at different types of jobs and for a shorter period of time, their lack of experience and safety training often combine to cause a greater probability of injury.
To further exacerbate the situation, the study noted that the staffing industry is a competitive market with many businesses offering the same types of services. These agencies may be hesitant about overemphasizing safety and possibly alienating them when the company can simply go with one of their competitors.
A California labor advocacy group, WorkSafe, points to another potential problem: the failure of the companies involved to fully take responsibility for employee safety. The staffing agency and the host company may each try to pass off safety responsibilities to the other organization. Temp workers may not be familiar with the hazards of the jobsite and may be less likely to report hazards in the workplace. These workers often lack the necessary information to protect their own safety
Temp agencies are more likely to hire immigrant workers, low-wage workers and other vulnerable workers who may have difficulty challenging the customs in unfamiliar workplaces.
Additionally, some states (like California) do not have laws that prohibit staffing agencies to send temporary workers to companies that have notorious safety violation histories. Since staffing companies are often charged much lower fines than the host companies, they may not have as much financial incentive to improve safety.
Ways to Protect Temporary Workers
There are several ways that the number of temporary worker injuries can be reduced, including the following:
- Require host companies to comply with safety violations
- Charge higher fines to those companies that continue to commit serious safety violations
- Vet companies well before sending temporary employees there
- Provide safety training
- Ask for additional information regarding safety policies
- Screen client job sites before sending temp workers to them
In some situations, neither the temporary agency nor the host company adheres to safety standards. When this occurs, it is important that the injured worker work closely with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer who can guide the employee through the process of pursuing a claim.
