Staffing firm safety best practices were derived from three primary sources:
- American Staffing Association
- National Safety Council
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Below, learn more about each organization’s contribution to the best practices and read the original source materials in full.
ASA Safety Best Practices
Staffing firms and employees benefit from fewer worker injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Worker satisfaction, productivity, collaboration, recruitment and retention all increase dramatically when employers promote and ensure safe and healthy work environment.
The Employee Safety Best Practice and Operating Information documents below pertain to staffing firms’:
- General operations and management of workplace incidents
- Internal and temporary employees
- Selection of and interaction with clients, secondary suppliers, vendor management systems and managed service providers
These best practices have proven to increase productivity and the quality of the workforce, and decrease turnover and insurance costs. Ultimately, these corporate and field-level policies and procedures can increase profitability. Download best practices* for firms with the following focus areas:
*The information in these best practices should not be relied on as, and is not intended to be, legal advice. Staffing firms requiring legal or other advice regarding the matters discussed to these best practices should consult with their own legal counsel.
NSC Best Practices
The Journey to Safety Excellence is a collection of safety and health best practices based on standards (such as ANSI Z10, OHSAS 18001, and ISO 45001), research and practices of companies with world-class safety performance. Through our 100-plus years of work with thousands of employers, we developed a framework of best practices that, if followed, lead to optimal safety outcomes. Learn more about the Journey.
OSHA Resources
 In 2013, OSHA launched the Temporary Worker Initiative to help prevent work-related injuries and illnesses among temporary workers by highlighting employers’ responsibility to ensure workers are protected from hazards.
OSHA published the following documents to help staffing agencies and host employers understand their roes in keeping temporary workers safe.
- Recommended Practices: Protecting Temporary Workers
- Injury and Illness Recordkeeping Requirements
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Whistleblower Protection Rights
- Safety and Health Training
- Hazard Communication
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Powered Industrial Truck Training
- Respiratory Protection
- Noise Exposure and Hearing Conservation
OSHA also recently published its recommended practices for safety and health programs to assist employers in ensuring their programs meet basic requirements.
- Recommended Practices to Safety and Health Programs
- Recommended Practices to Safety and Health Programs in Construction
State Laws
 State plan states may have laws that differ from federal OSHA requirements. Review your state’s laws here.
CAL/OSHA has revised its Dual Employer Inspections Policy and Procedures Manual. The revised manual: (i) makes clear that the host employer has the same safety responsibilities to temporary employees as it does to its own internal employees; (ii) removes the previous draft’s language suggesting that staffing firms had to maintain an IIPP for every host employer worksite; (iii) notes that, in most cases, the host employer is in the best position to determine the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Recordkeeping Requirements
 OSHA requires businesses to report work-related illnesses, injuries, and fatalities. For staffing firms and host employers, these requirements are often subject of contract negotiations and language. See what OSHA has to say regarding your responsibilities.
OSHA Alliance Resources
 Through the Alliance Program, OSHA works with groups committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. These groups include unions, consulates, trade or professional organizations, businesses, faith- and community-based organizations and educational institutions.
OSHA and these groups develop compliance assistance tools and resources and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. Both American Staffing Association and National Safety Council have formal alliance partnerships with OSHA and have created materials for use by all organizations to enhance safety.
ASA and NSC have partnered together through the Alliance Program to create a case study that highlights staffing firm and host employer responsibilities.