Ensuring Temporary Worker Safety During the Holiday Rush

According to KPMG’s 2024 Consumer Holiday Shopping Survey, the average U.S. consumer will spend $948 on holiday shopping, an increase from $911 in 2023. In preparation for the holiday season, major retailers like Amazon plan to hire 250,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal roles to meet their consumers’ growing demand.

With the influx of temporary and new hires during the holiday season, retailers must understand their responsibilities as employers to ensure consistent safety practices across all warehouse facilities and distribution centers to uphold OSHA and NIOSH safety guidelines.

Joint Responsibilities

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was established, ensuring compliance with safety standards that protect both permanent and temporary workers. As part of the Temporary Worker Initiative (TWI) launched in 2013, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), began to partner with OSHA to develop guidelines and programs aimed at reducing risks for temporary workers.

Under the OSH Act, OSHA requires the staffing agencies and host employers to protect the safety of temporary workers, creating a dual responsibility model. Specifically, staffing agencies ensure workers know their rights and provide baseline safety training. Meanwhile, host employers are accountable for identifying site-specific hazards and ensuring job-specific training. The shared accountability ensures that neither party can avoid responsibility, helping to create a safer work environment for temporary employees. Visit our website to learn more about the shared responsibilities workplaces and staffing agencies have to keep temporary workers safe!

CED’s team of Workplace Safety/OSHA experts have industry experience, are trained in the OSHA standards. CED Technologies' engineers can?serve as workplace safety experts or investigate workplace accidents to determine the causes of an accident. As you prepare for the holiday season, a safe workspace for every employee is essential.