Recommended Practices: Protecting Temporary Workers

[Excerpt] Workers employed through staffing agencies are generally called temporary or supplied workers. For the purposes of these recommended practices, “temporary workers” are those supplied to a host employer and paid by a staffing agency, whether or not the job is actually temporary. Whether temporary or permanent, all workers always have a right to a safe and healthy workplace. The staffing agency and the staffing agency’s client (the host employer) are joint employers of temporary workers and, therefore, both are responsible for providing and maintaining a safe work environment for those workers. The staffing agency and the host employer must work together to ensure that the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the OSH Act) requirements are fully met. See 29 U.S.C. § 651. The extent of the obligations of each employer will vary depending on workplace conditions and should therefore be described in the agreement or contract between the employers. Their safety and health responsibilities will sometimes overlap. Either the staffing agency or the host employer may be better suited to ensure compliance with a particular requirement, and may assume primary responsibility for it. The joint employment structure requires effective communication and a common understanding of the division of responsibilities for safety and health. Ideally, these will be set forth in a written contract. OSHA and NIOSH recommend the following practices to staffing agencies and host employers so that they may better protect temporary workers through mutual cooperation and collaboration. Unless otherwise legally required, these recommendations are for the purpose of guidance and in some cases represent best practices

Injuries among youth on farms, 2001

"Agriculture continues to rank as one of the most hazardous industries. Youth are exposed to hazards while living, working on, or visiting farms. In 2001, there were approximately 1.9 million farms in the U.S., with an estimated 1,075,759 youth living in these farm households. Between 1995 and 2000, the annual injury fatality rate for youth on farm operations was 9.3 fatalities per 100,000 youth. In 2001, the non-fatal injury rate for youth who reside on or are hired to work on U.S. farms was 1,270 injuries per 100,000 farm youth. Household farm youth comprise all youth 0-19 years of age who live on Us. farms and include working and non-working youth. An estimated 1,075,759 youth lived on u.S. farm operations in 2001: 16,851 were injured (16 injuries per 1,000 household youth); 10-15 year olds had the highest injury rate (21 injuries per 1,000 household youth); 5,807 injuries occurred while working on the farm (10 injuries per 1,000 working household. youth); 10-15 year olds experienced the highest rate of injury while doing farm work (11 injuries per 1,000 household youth)." --NIOSHTIC-2Title from PDF title screen (CDC, viewed July 8, 2010)."December 2004."Also available on the World Wide Web

Report of activities for fiscal year 1997

"The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). NIOSH, the federal agency responsible for research and prevention of workplace hazards, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has facilities in Anchorage, Alaska; Atlanta, Georgia; Cincinnati, Ohio; Morgantown, West Virginia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Spokane, Washington. Currently, there are 127 million individuals, 16 years of age or older, in the United States workforce. The workforce is aging, becoming more ethnically and racially diverse, and includes more women. Safety and health hazards experienced by workers have implications for their personal lives, their productivity, and the productivity of the nation as a whole. According to a NIOSH-funded study published in 1997, work-related injuries cost the nation more than $145 billion and work-related diseases cost an additional$26 billion, making the total financial burden a staggering $171 billion (1992). While occupational health research has improved worker protection against many hazards and diseases, much remains to be done. Workers are still at risk for noise induced hearing loss and exposed to lead and silica, two long-recognized occupational hazards that cause chronic lung disease. As the workplace and workforce change, new hazards emerge. Violence is now a threat in the workplace, latex allergies are increasing among health care workers, new chemicals and processes place workers in danger, and the long-term effects of many exposures remain unknown. NIOSH continues to reduce work-related injuries and illnesses by conducting research, publishing recommendations for preventing work-related injuries and illnesses, and training professionals in occupational safety and health. An unhealthy working environment affects workers' health and productivity, and may even render them unable to work. The consequences of occupational safety and health hazards are reflected in the following statistics: In 1996 on a typical day in the United States, 16 workers died from injuries. Each day, an average of 137 workers died from work-related diseases. According to the National Safety Council, the costs for occupationally-related injuries exceeded$121 billion in 1996. NIOSH is committed to making the workplace a safer environment for all people. NIOSH is constantly faced with new challenges as the workforce grows older and changes in demographic composition, as individuals work longer hours, and as issues facing workers evolve. NIOSH has been conducting health research and making recommendations for preventing occupational illness and injury since its inception in 1970. The Occupational Safety and Health Act created both NIOSH and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), giving each unique responsibilities and placing them in different governmental departments. While NIOSH is charged with conducting research and implementing prevention activities, OSHA is required to promulgate regulations and enforce health and safety standards in the workplace and is part of the Department of Labor. FY 1997 marked completion of the transfer of the health and safety research programs from the former U.S. Bureau of Mines to NIOSH. In FY 1997, NIOSH's total operating budget was $173 million and NIOSH staff numbered 1,364. As required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), NIOSH developed four Institute-wide strategic goals in FY 1997. The complete version of the NIOSH Strategic Plan is available on the NIOSH Home Page at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/. These goals complement the goals set out by both DHHS and CDC. The four NIOSH goals--targeting of research, surveillance, prevention, and information dissemination and training-- represent the broad spectrum of NIOSH's work. It is the interplay of these goals that has and will make the vision of this Institute--safer and healthier workplaces--a reality. To best describe NIOSH's accomplishments during FY 1997, this Report of Activities has been organized around the Institute's four strategic goals. This Report highlights the work of the Institute during FY 1997 and it is not an exhaustive account of Institute-wide activity." - NIOSHTIC-2"March 1999.

Racial minority national data

"This document presents the national M-CAIS results for racial minority farm operations in an easily accessible statistical abstract format. A racial minority farm operation includes farms operated by Blacks, Native Americans, Asians, or operators of "other" races. "Other races" includes operators native to or of ancestry from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central or South America [USDA, 1999]. This document includes injuries to all youth on racial minority operated farms regardless of the race or ethnicity of the injured youth (i.e., a white youth who worked and was injured on a racial minority farm would be included in these statistics). Future documents, in a similar format, will provide national data for Hispanic farm operations, regional data for racial minority farm operations, and regional data for Hispanic farm operations. Due to the quantity of data, no attempt was made to interpret the results presented. A list of NIOSH documents and publications that do provide interpretation of these and other childhood farm injury data is provided in Appendix A. It is hoped that the data presented here will be used by public health and safety professionals, engineers, and other groups working in the area of childhood farm safety and health to help in their intervention programs and injury control research. The estimates, prevalence rates, and incidence rates presented in this statistical abstract were calculated by NIOSH and are presented with the approval of USDA, NASS. Access to all M-CAIS data, files, or additional estimates from the M-CAIS data, are subject to the approval of USDA, NASS." - NIOSHTIC-2John R. Myers, Kitty J. Hendricks, Larry A. Layne, and E. Michael Goldcamp."July 2005."Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references: p. (243-248)

Stop MRSA in jails and prisons

"Handle laundry safely. Protect yourself. Put wet or soiled laundry in a plastic bag while wearing gloves; Wear gloves while handling all dirty laundry; Wash your hands after removing gloves. How to do laundry. Use the warmest water recommended on detergent and clothing labels; Laundry may not get clean if the washer is packed too full of clothes; Machine dry completely." - NIOSHTIC-2Title from NIOSHTIC-2If you have a MRSA infection (correctional staff) - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-126/Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (3 MB, 1 p.)

Solid waste industry

"The solid waste industry (Waste Management and Remediation, NAICS 562) consists of 3 groups: Collection; Treatment and Disposal; and Other Waste Remediation Services. In 2010, approximately 478,000 workers were employed in the solid waste industry with about 355,000 in private industry. About 72,500 of the private waste industry employees are classified as Refuse and Recyclable Materials Collectors (SOC 53-708) and 49,000 of these collection workers are employed by local government agencies. Occupational traumatic injury fatality data for 2003-2009 have been published for public and private sector workers but occupational injury and illness data for this period are available only for private sector workers. Effective health and safety programs which include hazard recognition and controls can reduce occupational injuries and illnesses and improve work conditions in the solid waste industry." - NIOSHTIC-2"March 2012."Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (1.91 MB, 4 p.)

Safety and health among hotel cleaners

"The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) is a partnership program to promote innovative research and improve workplace practices. Unveiled in 1996, NORA is a framework for guiding occupational safety and health research and interventions throughout the nation. NORA stakeholders collaborate to identify critical workplace issues in industry sectors. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) convened a number of these partners to develop the National Services Agenda, which includes safety and health goals for the Accommodations Industry. Groups such as unions, worker organizations, government agencies, and hotel/motel associations can build partnerships to implement these goals and help ensure that hotels are safe for all employees." - p. [1]At head of title: "Services sector: Occupational safety and health needs for the next decade of NORA.""This document was prepared by Susan Afanuh, Pamela Vossenas, Sheli DeLaney and David Utterback of the Services Sector Accommodations subcommittee.""July 2011." - NIOSH websiteAlso available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (756.KB, 2 p.).Includes bibliographical references

Worker deaths by electrocution: a summary of NIOSH surveillance and investigative findings

"To identify and describe trends in traumatic occupational fatalities due to contact with electrical energy, review recommended prevention strategies, and describe the approach of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to traumatic occupational fatality investigation and prevention. Through surveillance and on-site fatality investigations of occupational electrocutions, risk factors can be identified and intervention strategies developed, disseminated, and implemented to reduce fatal occupational injuries. Data from the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) surveillance system, which is based on death certificates from all 50 States and the District of Columbia meeting the following criteria: age 16 years and older; external injury cause of death; and the certifier noted that the injury occurred at work was used. Data are also included from the Fatality Assessment and Control evaluation (FACE) program gathered during field investigations using the traditional epidemiologic model. This study uses data from the NTOF surveillance system and the FACE database to describe trends and rates of fatalities of workers during to electrocution over a 12-year period. Through surveillance and epidemiologic investigations, potential risk factors are identified and injury prevention strategies are developed. According to NTOF data, a total of 5,338 workers were electrocuted in 5,170 incidents from 1980-1992. An average of 411 workers were electrocuted each year, with an average annual rate of 0.4 workers per 100,000 workers. Although the number of electrocution deaths have decreased by more than 50% from 1980- 1992, electrocutions accounted for 5% of all worker deaths in 1994 in the U.S. From November 1982 to December 1994, the NIOSH FACE program investigated 224 electrocution incidents resulting in 244 occupational fatalities. Recommended prevention strategies include compliance with national safety codes, proper use of personal protective equipment, appropriate worker training, and developing and implementing comprehensive written safety programs. Approximately 411 workers die each year from electrocution-related incidents in the work environment, and electrocutions account for 5% of all occupational fatalities in the U.S. To reduce these numbers, prevention strategies need to be developed and disseminated to targeted audiences. The FACE model has been demonstrated as an effective tool for describing fatal occupational injuries, developing prevention strategies, and disseminating these prevention strategies to targeted audiences." - NIOSHTIC-2Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references (p. 22-24)

Protecting workers exposed to lead-based paint hazards: a report to Congress

"The toxic effects of lead are well documented in both children and adults. Workers' exposure to lead can damage the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, hematological system, and the kidney. Workers' lead exposure can also harm development of their children. Lead has been shown to be an animal carcinogen, and authors of recent studies suggest that occupational lead exposure increases the risk of cancer. Lead poisoning often goes undetected since many of the symptoms, such as stomach pain, headaches, anxiety, irritability, and poor appetite, are nonspecific and may not be recognized as symptoms of lead poisoning. Because of national efforts to reduce environmental lead exposures, general population lead exposures in the United States have dropped significantly in the past two decades. In 1978, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated a lead standard to protect workers in general industry. In 1993, as required by Title X, OSHA provided an equivalent level of protection to workers in the construction industry. Lead exposures in the workplace, however, continue to be a significant public health problem. Research studies on lead toxicity in humans indicate that current OSHA standards should prevent the most severe symptoms of lead poisoning, but these standards do not protect workers and their developing children from all of the adverse effects of lead. In recognition of this problem, voluntary standards and public health goals have been established to lower exposure limits for workers exposed to lead. The Department of Health and Human Services has established a national goal to eliminate, by the year 2000, all occupational lead exposures that result in blood lead levels (BLLs) greater than 25 ug/dL. Key recommendations include: State surveillance programs should be expanded to all states where workers are exposed to lead-based paint (LBP) hazards to identify high-risk workplaces and conduct follow-up investigations where needed; Research and education are needed to assist small businesses involved in LBP activities in developing low-cost controls for reducing worker lead exposures and environmental releases of lead; Research is needed to determine better the extent of take-home lead exposures among workers who are exposed to low airborne lead levels, but who work in lead-contaminated environments; Until more data are available, protective clothing and hygiene facilities should be considered for workers in lead-contaminated workplaces, regardless of their airborne lead exposure levels; Research and education are needed to improve worker protection during maintenance and repainting of steel structures coated with LBP. This should include the use of improved engineering controls and design of highly protective respirators for abrasive blasting; Research is needed to provide a set of objective data that would be useful for employers' initial exposure assessments of common residential lead abatement methods, and renovation and remodeling activities involving LBP; To reduce worker lead exposures during residential work, safer methods such as enclosure, encapsulation, and replacement should be used where possible instead of LBP removal by torch burning, heat gun, or abrasive methods; A system for evaluating the quality of analyses of lead in paint, dust, and soil, done in-place with portable instruments, is needed." - NIOSHTIC-21. Health effects of lead exposure and occupational exposure criteria -- 2. NIOSH surveillance, interventions, and evaluations -- 3. Lead exposure of workers' families -- 4. Methods, devices, and work practices to control occupational lead exposures during lead-based paint activities -- 5. Methods to sample and analyze environmental lead -- 6. Lead exposures among janitorial and custodial workers -- Appendix A. Directory of states with adult BLL registries -- Appendix B. Summary of health and safety contract specifications, state of Connecticutedited by Aaron Sussell ; contributors, Kevin Ashley, Greg Burr, Janie Gittleman, Leroy Mickelsen, Henryka Nagy, Greg Piacitelli, Robert Roscoe, Aaron Sussell, Elizabeth Whelan."January 1998."Mode of access: Internet as an Acrobat .pdf file (443.16 KB, 86 p.).Includes bibliographical references

Delivering on the nation's investment in worker safety and health

"Since the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was passed, NIOSH has worked diligently and thoughtfully to protect the U.S. working population. NIOSH has relied heavily on science to guide its use of public resources, fulfill its responsibilities as outlined by Congress, and address critical occupational safety and health concerns. Over the years, policymakers, industry leaders, and organized labor have supported NIOSH's mission and have agreed that scientific research is essential for effectively protecting workers. We are proud that our research and recommendations are reflected in the pionering national initiatives that have reduced occupational exposure to hazards such as asbestos, lead, vinyl chloride, and other industrial agents and have led to safer and healthier workplaces. As the U.S. economy moved from its predominantly manufacturing base towards a more service-providing economy in the 1980s and 1990s, NIOSH kept pace with its research to address issues such as indoor air quality, latex allergy, musculoskeletal disorders, and workplace violence. Around this same time, NIOSH also became keenly aware of the need to expand its partnerships, leverage its resources, and more effectively demonstrate the value of its research. Today, our programs continue to evolve to meet the complex challenges that we face in the 21st century, including changing workforce dynamics, new demands, and emerging occupational safety and health issues. Through the creation of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) we have expanded our diverse partnerships and leveraged resources. Every day, we strive to achieve our mission with the determination, commitment to sound science, spirit of partnership, knack for innovation, and unique understanding of the workplace that has served us and our stakeholders well for the past four decades. This document presents qualities that underpin our efforts and illustrates ways in which we continue to drive progress in occupational safety and health. We have included our efforts in such areas as NORA, research-to-practice, emergency response, partnership, nanotechnology, global collaborations, and other cross-cutting programs. Throughout the document we have included specific examples of how NIOSH research has successfully impacted workplaces and the working population. As the U.S. looks to the strategies that will maintain American leadership in tomorrow's global market, it is critical to keep in mind that prevention of work-related injury, illness, and death is an integral part of those strategies. Keeping workers safe and healthy contributes to the efficiency, competitiveness, quality of service, and profitability of businesses. I hope you find this document informative and that it stimulates new ideas for ways in which we might collaborate to protect the U.S. workforce and keep our families, our communities, and our nation strong." - NIOSHTIC-2Also available via the World Wide We