OSHA and ASA Form Alliance to Enhance Safety of Temporary Workers

Alliance Agreement Signed

Today at the ASA Staffing Law Conference, the heads of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the American Staffing Association signed an alliance agreement to help provide ASA members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of temporary workers, and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers.

“Through this alliance with ASA, we will increase outreach to staffing firms and host employers and provide information and education that is vital to protecting temporary workers,” said David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.

“Worker wellness and safety have long been a top priority of the American Staffing Association and its member companies,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “We are proud to participate in this voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA to raise awareness of OSHA’s initiatives, increase training and education, and enhance outreach and communication, especially among staffing clients.”

Specifically, OSHA and ASA intend to work together to

• Develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and the OSHA and ASA websites) to staffing firms, client companies, and temporary workers
• Speak, exhibit, and appear at OSHA and ASA conferences, local meetings, and other events
• Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding temporary worker safety best practices through training programs, workshops, and seminars

OSHA and ASA will develop a work plan focused on protecting the health and safety of temporary workers-particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to safety and health hazards during temporary assignments-and on educating staffing firms, their clients, and temporary workers about the rights of temporary workers and the responsibilities of employers under the OSH Act.

For more information, visit the ASA Newsroom. You can also follow ASA on Twitter.

Interviews with ASA executives are available.

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About the American Staffing Association

The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.