Who’s responsible for training temporary workers — the host employer or the staffing agency?

The staffing agency and the host employer share the responsibility for training temporary workers. Training must be completed before the worker begins work on a project, and the training must be in a language and vocabulary the worker understands. Depending on the industry, worksite, and job duties to which the temporary worker is assigned, certain OSHA standards which require both generic and specific training may be applicable. While both the host and the staffing agency are responsible to ensure that the employee is properly trained according to the applicable standard, the employers may decide that a division of the responsibility may be appropriate.

As a recommended practice, the staffing agency and host employer should establish which party is responsible for each aspect of training, as well as inform the other employer when training is completed. The details of the training to be performed can be clearly stated in the language of the contract between the employers. However, neither employer may avoid their ultimate responsibilities under the OSH Act by requiring another party to perform them.

In most cases, the host employer is responsible for site-specific training and the staffing agency is responsible for generic safety and health training. It is the responsibility of both the staffing agency and the host employer to review applicable OSHA standards, know the specific training requirements, and determine and agree upon the generic safety training requirements that the staffing agency will provide to temporary workers and the site-specific training requirements that the host employer will provide. The training goal is to ensure that workers know how to do their work safely, can identify hazards, and understand control and protective measures.

Source: OSHA Temporary Worker Initiative (TWI) Bulletin No. 4, Safety and Health Training.