Do temporary workers have a higher likelihood of injury on the job?

On Behalf of | Mar 1, 2021 | Workers' Compensation |

Your work environment may have a range of workers. For example, you may have part-time and full-time employees, contractors and temporary workers. Of these groups, it seems the most at risk for an on-the-job injury are temporary workers.

The Wiley Online Library states a study showed temporary workers have a higher rate of workers’ compensation claims. There are some specific reasons why this may be.

Origins

Temporary workers come from temporary agencies. These agencies supply workers to a wide range of employers. While they try to match workers with jobs that suit their experience and skills, sometimes they may dispatch a worker to a job that is completely new to him or her.

This means that some of the temporary workers your company takes on may be unfamiliar with your work environment. They may have no training to do the job either. These issues can lead to mistakes, errors and accidents that cause injury.

Characteristics

Another common aspect of temporary workers is that they are young. These workers may have limited work experience. They may be more likely to do things that could put them at risk for an injury due to bad judgment or reckless behavior. They may not recognize the risks as easily as older workers or be less likely to worry about them.

Prevention

What the study results show is a trend that is fixable. It does not mean your employer should stop using temporary workers. It does show that your employer should do more effective and extensive safety training with these workers, even if the temporary agency claims it already conducted such training.

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