Safety & Workers' Compensation in Staffing Flashcards

A staffing agency is developing a return-to-work (RTW) program for injured temporary workers. What is the primary benefit of a modified-duty RTW program?

Answer: It reduces total workers' compensation costs by returning injured workers to productive work sooner

Modified-duty return-to-work programs lower total claim costs by reducing lost-time wage replacement payments and keeping workers engaged, which typically speeds recovery.

Under OSHA regulations, which of the following is considered a 'work-related illness or injury' that MUST be recorded on the OSHA 300 Log?

Answer: A temporary worker's pre-existing back condition that is aggravated by job duties, requiring prescription medication

A pre-existing condition that is significantly aggravated by work activities and requires medical treatment beyond first aid (such as prescription medication) meets OSHA's definition of a recordable work-related injury.

A staffing agency discovers a client site has a safety hazard that poses immediate risk to temporary workers. What is the agency's appropriate first action?

Answer: Notify the client of the hazard and document the communication; remove workers if the hazard is not corrected

Staffing agencies should promptly notify the client of identified hazards, document all communications, and remove workers if the hazard creates imminent danger that is not addressed.

OSHA's Recordkeeping Rule (29 CFR 1904) requires covered employers to post a summary of work-related injuries and illnesses (OSHA Form 300A) during which period each year?

Answer: February 1 through April 30

OSHA requires employers to post the Form 300A annual summary in a visible workplace location from February 1 through April 30 of the year following the recorded incidents.

A staffing agency's workers' compensation policy includes a 'subrogation' clause. In staffing, subrogation most commonly applies when:

Answer: The insurance carrier recovers claim costs from a negligent third party (such as the client) after paying a worker's claim

Subrogation allows the workers' compensation insurer to recover costs paid to the injured worker from a third party—often the negligent host employer—whose actions caused the injury.

A client company asks a staffing agency to exclude a temporary worker from a mandatory safety orientation, claiming it would take too long. The agency's best response is to:

Answer: Decline and insist temporary workers complete required orientation before beginning work

Staffing agencies must ensure temporary workers receive required safety orientation; allowing clients to waive it exposes both parties to OSHA violations and increases injury risk and liability.

Which of the following best describes 'light-duty work' in the context of a staffing agency's return-to-work program?

Answer: Temporary modified job tasks assigned to an injured worker that accommodate physical restrictions while they recover

Light-duty or modified-duty assignments are tasks tailored to an injured worker's medical restrictions, allowing them to return to productivity while still healing.