OSHA Construction Panel Urges Agency to Expand Its Temporary Worker Program

According to a recent report in the Occupational Safety & Health Reporter, OSHA's construction advisory panel is pushing the agency to expand its temporary worker protection program to include day laborers and other contract construction workers. The report says that on Aug. 23, 2013, The Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health requested that OSHA consider increasing coverage to "encompass temporary workers at building sites, including independent contractors, day laborers and subcontractors," as the current initiative is focused on temporary workers employed by staffing agencies. Supporters say that this limited coverage leaves out a large number of workers.