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New numbers point to increase of work injury for temp help

On Behalf of | Dec 24, 2013 | Industrial Workers' Accidents |

Anyone working in any industry should feel they are properly trained and protected while they perform the duties they are being paid to do. However, a new study points to an alarming fact in California and other states. It is being reported that temporary workers are likely to suffer a work injury at a much higher rate than their regular counterparts.

It is estimated that a temporary worker in California is 50 percent more likely to be hurt on the job compared to regular employees of the workplace. The rates are even higher in some other states. In Oregon and Minnesota, it estimated that the increase in accident rates is up to 66 percent and 72 percent respectively. One reason for the increase in work injury rates is cited as lack of training.

There is an initiative being launched by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to help quell this increase. One way is to check safety standards of employers who hire temporary workers, and another is to require proper training of temporary employees. One shocking reality the agency is trying to get to the bottom of is the reported fact that many temporary workers who are injured or killed suffer this fate within the first few days of being on the job.

When a temporary worker is injured on the job, the temporary agency is typically responsible for any workers’ compensation, not the place where the temporary worker was working when a work injury occurred. This fact makes the statistics hard to keep accurate or account for. Any worker in California may find it beneficial to be aware of the status of any workers’ compensation benefits if they are going to work in a dangerous industry or one in which training is involved.

Source: moneynews.com, ProPublica: Temp Workers Get Hurt More Than Permanent Workers Do, Michael Kling, Dec. 20, 2013

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