Temporary workers can be placed in a variety of different jobs, including extremely hazardous ones. Employers have to take extra care that these workers are trained properly on all equipment and in proper safety procedures. When a temporary worker is placed, both the staffing company who placed him and the company hosting him are responsible for his health and safety in the workplace. If he gets hurt, neither side is allowed to escape liability for his injuries, because he was employed by both companies at the time of the accident. Last December, a temporary worker was killed at an Amazon fulfillment center in Avenel, NJ. The man was caught in between a conveyor system and crushed, eventually dying from his injuries. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted a follow-up investigation and cited five companies for serious safety violations. OSHA fined four staffing agencies for failing to perform a hazard assessment of the facility before assigning temporary workers. The agencies cited during the investigation were:
- Abacus – The Corporate Services Co.
- Corporate Resource Services Inc., operating as Diamond Staffing Services
- Remedy Intelligent Staffing Inc., a division of Selective Staffing
- Staffmark
Third-party logistics provider Genco was in charge of the facility, contracted by Amazon to supervise the multitude of temporary workers as they conducted sorting operations. The company was cited for failing to certify that the agencies had conducted a complete hazard assessment before beginning operations.
What Are My Legal Options as a Temporary Worker?
At Spevack Law Firm, we know that temporary workers can work the hardest and tolerate less-than-ideal working conditions. Businesses using temporary labor are required to treat those workers the same as other employees, including proper training and safety equipment. If you are employed as a temporary worker and you feel like your rights are being violated, call Spevack Law Firm today. Your employer is responsible for your health and safety in the workplace. Make sure they abide by the law.
[Did You Know: Contractor worker fatalities, which include temporary workers, accounted for 16 percent of fatal work injuries in 2012.]
Spevack Law Firm – Middlesex County Personal Injury Lawyers
Source: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=26208
