OSHA Releases Additional Temporary Worker Initiative Bulletins (TRN Update)

From Cliff Gerbick, CSP (The Reserves Network Director of Safety)

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released two additional bulletins in conjunction with their ongoing Temporary Worker Initiative (TWI).  The TWI was started in April of 2013 and focuses on both temporary staffing agencies and those employers that utilize a temporary employees (host employers).  The TWI focuses on clarifying safety and health responsibilities within the temporary staffing agency and host employer relationship.  OSHA views this relationship as a co-employment situation and therefore both parties are responsible for safety and health.

The two bulletins released on March 13, 2015 provide information on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Whistleblower Protection Rights. The content of the bulletins does not create any new regulation, it only serves to clarify current OSHA Standards and provide guidance.  OSHA is encouraging both temporary staffing agencies and host employees to spell out safety and health obligations in writing so no items are overlooked and all employees, regardless of whether they are full time or temporary, receive the same guarantee of a safe and healthful workplace.

OSHA has previously released a TWI Bulletin that focused on Recordkeeping and a Recommended Practices PDF that serves as general guidelines.

All of the OSHA published materials regarding the TWI can be found by (clicking here).

Cliff Gerbick is the Director of Safety for The Reserves Network, a provider of “Total Staffing Solutions” in the office, industrial, professional and technical markets. To contact Cliff, email cgerbick@TRNstaffing.com.

OSHA Launches Initiative to Protect Temporary Workers (TRN Update)

From Cliff Gerbick, CSP (The Reserves Network Director of Safety)

Each year towards the end of April, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) holds a remembrance ceremony for Workers Memorial Day.  During this time, OSHA remembers those workers who lost their lives on the job and recommits to making worksites safer.

However, this year, in addition to the remembrance service, OSHA introduced an initiative to protect temporary workers in the workforce.  OSHA sent a memo to all regional administrators who assess field operations directing field inspectors “to assess whether employers who use temporary workers are complying with their responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.”

This memo comes on the heels of a recently published Standard Interpretation that clarified who in the temporary agency/host employer is responsible for what aspects of required safety and health education.  That standard interpretation can be found at by (CLICKING HERE: osha.gov)

OSHA has long held that temporary agencies are required to provide general safety and health training while host employers are required to provide site specific training on potential hazards and risks.  Those responsibilities are not changing; OSHA is simply putting and emphasis on ensuring that both parties are fulfilling their obligations under the OSH Act.

Compliance Safety and Health Offices (CSHO’s), commonly referred to as OSHA Inspectors, are instructed to identify employers that utilize temporary workers and “assess whether temporary workers received required training in a language and vocabulary they could understand.”

Additionally, OSHA has begun working with the American Staffing Association (ASA), the largest trade association representing the U.S. staffing industry, in order to better promote best practices and provide education to both staffing agencies and host employees on OSHA requirements and employee training.

For more information on the OSHA Initiative, please visit (LINK: osha.gov)

For more information on the American Staffing Associating, please visit (LINK: americanstaffing.net)

Cliff Gerbick is the Director of Safety for The Reserves Network, a provider of “Total Staffing Solutions” in the office, industrial, professional and technical markets. To contact Cliff, email cgerbick@TRNstaffing.com.

Visit the The Reserves Network’s website at www.TRNstaffing.com.

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OSHA’s Top 10 Violations of Fiscal Year 2012 (TRN Safety Alert)

From Cliff Gerbick, CSP (The Reserves Network Director of Safety)

OSHA has released it annual list of the top 10 workplace violations for fiscal year 2012 (October 1, 2011 – September 30, 2012). Annually the list contains mostly the same standards, only switching positions, and this year is no exception. As the political landscape remains static, OSHA will continue to focus on increased planned inspections and higher penalty amounts. OSHA has repeatedly stated that they are an enforcement agency so one can only assume the number of inspections and citations will continue to rise.

With that said, here are OSHA’s Top 10 Most Cited Standards for FY 2012:

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements
Standard 1926.501
Total Violations: 7,250

2. Hazard Communication
Standard 1910.1200
Total Violations:  4,696

3. Scaffolding – General Requirements
Standard 1926.451
Total Violations:  3,814

4. Respiratory Protection
Standard 1910.134
Total Violations:  2,371

5. Ladders
Standard 1926.1053
Total Violations:  2,310

6. Machine Guarding – General Requirements
Standard 1910.212
Total Violations:  2,097

7. Powered Industrial Trucks
Standard 1910.178
Total Violations:  1,993

8. Electrical – Wiring Methods
Standard 1910.305
Total Violations:  1,744

9. Lockout/Tagout
Standard 1910.147
Total Violations:  1,572

10. Electrical – General Requirements
Standard 1910.303
Total Violations:  1,332

For more information, visit the National Safety Council website by (Clicking Here!)

Cliff Gerbick is the Director of Safety for The Reserves Network, a provider of “Total Staffing Solutions” in the office, industrial, professional and technical markets. To contact Cliff, email cgerbick@trnstaffing.com.

Visit the The Reserves Network’s website at www.TRNstaffing.com.

*Join us on these Networks for a wide variety of HR Tips and Trends, Industry Articles, Best Practices, Safety Management, OSHA Alerts, Legal Topics, Blogs, News Releases, Videos and more…