Introduction
Temporary workers (including agency and contract staff) often face heightened injury risks in the workplace.
Common accidents typically involve manual handling, slips/trips/falls, impact by falling or moving objects and dangerous contact with machinery.
Post-incident investigations frequently reveal concerning patterns: inadequate risk awareness and training, insufficient supervision, over-reliance on presumed experience, lack of worker competence for hazardous tasks, reluctance to report hazards and failure to properly investigate incidents.
By addressing these areas, employers can significantly reduce accident potential and strengthen their position should claims arise.
Health and Safety
All temporary workers must receive clear information about significant workplace hazards and the control measures in place. Essential information that should be provided includes:
- Company health and safety policy
- Relevant risk assessments and safe systems of work
- Employee handbook guidelines
- Clearly defined restricted and prohibited areas/activities
- Fire and emergency evacuation procedures
- Processes for reporting hazards, defects, accidents and near misses
- Available welfare facilities including first aid arrangements
While employment agencies have a duty to ensure worker suitability and provide basic safety information, hirers assume responsibility for workplace safety once workers are on-site. Legal requirements mandate that employers provide temporary workers with identical health and safety protections as permanent employees.
Induction and Training
Every temporary worker should receive:
- Initial health and safety induction (typically provided by the agency or otherwise by the hirer)
- Comprehensive premises induction including workplace familiarization tour
- Formal introduction to colleagues, supervisors and relevant managers
- Detailed job-specific training appropriate to assigned tasks
For activities involving significant hazards, training must follow documented safe systems of work with formal competency assessment and a suitable period of enhanced supervision.
Knowledge and practical tests are highly effective for validating understanding. Employers must allocate sufficient time for thorough induction and training, regardless of production deadlines or other commercial pressures — failure to do so could result in both compromised claims defensibility and potential criminal prosecution.
Communication
For workers with limited English proficiency or low literacy levels, employers should implement additional measures:
- Take extra care with health and safety communication
- Actively encourage questions and discussion
- Use clear, simple language and visual materials
- Utilise pictures, approved pictograms, or translation services as needed
Documentation and Record Keeping
Thoroughly document all significant information, instruction and training provided to temporary workers. Written declarations should:
- Confirm receipt and understanding of provided information
- Explicitly state that workers must not undertake unauthorized activities or access restricted areas
- Acknowledge that safety rule breaches may result in disciplinary proceedings
- Be signed and dated by the worker and countersigned by the trainer/assessor
Through diligent implementation of these measures, employers can create a safer working environment for temporary workers while significantly improving their position if claims arise.