With many seasonal vacancies being filled at this time of year, it is important to ensure that temporary and/or agency staff are protected in the workplace. Young workers who take on seasonal positions are particularly at risk for a number of reasons:
- Lack of experience and naivety
- Unfamiliar job and work environment
- Reluctance to raise issues when they arise
- Eagerness to impress management and colleagues
This means that new workers may not recognise hazards as potential dangers, might not understand the safety advice, policies, and procedures that is in place, might be unfamiliar with their workplace environment, or simply might ignore safety advice.
How To Protect Temporary Workers:
1) Assess their Capability
When taking on new seasonal workers, consider their general health, literacy and numerical levels, relevant work experience, and physical capability to do the job in question. It’s worth noting that consideration of religious and cultural issues is just as important.
2) Provide an Induction
Plan and provide an induction to each new starter utilising literature, videos, pictures, and simple language wherever possible. Conduct a site walkabout, highlighting general hazards and risks, fire hazards, fire exit doors, emergency evacuation routes, and welfare facilities. Ideally, any inductions should be recorded, and records of them kept.
3) Introduce Control Measures
Ensure there are risk assessments in place with appropriate control measures – especially for young workers. These should be communicated to any new starters, ideally as part of the induction process.
4) Commit to Supervision
Ensure that new starters are supervised during their first few days on the job. To achieve this ‘work buddies’ can be nominated and assigned to help advise, guide, and supervise them.
5) Ensure Transparency
In case of any issues, make sure that seasonal workers know who they should speak to, how to go about raising a health, safety, or welfare concern, and what the business’ emergency arrangements and procedures are.
This article is intended for guidance only. Employers are advised to call the HR/Legal Advice Line on 01455 852 028 - where a team of HR experts will help guide you through employer obligations for agency, seasonal, and temporary workers.
