OSHA will co-moderate a free webinar with the American Staffing Association at 3 p.m. EST on Thursday, July 18, to discuss best practices for protecting temporary workers.

The webinar is part of OSHA's new initiative to protect temporary workers—many of whom face the most dangerous working conditions and therefore more vulnerable in the overall workforce. There is a growing body of research showing that temporary workers are at greater risk of workplace injury and illness than non-temps. According to the literature, two of the leading factors that point to increased risk are 1) lack of job information and safety training for temps, who are increasingly employed in dangerous occupations, and 2) employer financial and performance incentives around workers' compensation and other benefits.

At a recent meeting of the National Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels underlined the significance of OSHA's coordinated effort to protect temporary workers. "Given the enormous size of the temporary workforce and these reports of temporary workers being killed on the job, the data on increased injury rates, and our recent high-profile egregious fatality cases, OSHA has announced a concerted initiative to use enforcement, outreach and training to ensure that temporary workers are protected from workplace hazards," Michaels said. To learn more, read Dr. Michaels' NACOSH remarks.

To register, visit www.americanstaffing.net/education/ASAPro/2013/jul18.cfm.