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617 Managing Safety and Health- General Industry
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Multi-employer Communication and Coordination

In today's economy, staffing agencies assign an increasing number of workers to work at specific "host" worksites under the host employer's direction and control.

In multi-employer worksites, it is important to consider how work and safety activities can affect everyone.

Examples include seasonal workers, such as delivery drivers and warehouse workers, who help fill temporary staffing needs. In these situations, the staffing agency and the host employer need to communicate and coordinate to provide and maintain a safe work environment for their workers.

Some workers are employed by a host employer and others by a contractor or subcontractor in other situations.

Examples include electrical or mechanical contractors working in a facility, a vendor installing or maintaining equipment, or long-term contractors providing building cleaning and maintenance. In these circumstances, each employer and contractor must consider how its work and safety activities can affect the safety of other employers and workers at the site.

Characteristics of effective multi-employer communication and coordination include:

  • Host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies commit to providing the same level of safety and health protection to all employees.
  • Staffing agencies provide general safety education to temporary employees and host employers provide specific technical training for required tasks and procedures.
  • Host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies communicate the hazards present at the worksite and the hazards contract workers may create on site.
  • Host employers establish specifications and qualifications for contractors and staffing agencies.
  • Before beginning work, host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies coordinate work planning and scheduling to identify and resolve conflicts that could affect safety or health.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

1-8. On multi-employer worksites, who is responsible for providing technical training for specific tasks and procedures?