Are Your Temporary Workers at Risk?

With seasonal peaks and staff shortages featuring regularly in many workplaces, temporary and agency staff are often drafted in at short notice to keep operations running. However, time pressure to get temporary staff working is no excuse to skip manual handling training. Doing so isn’t just risky, it’s against the law. 

The Legal Position 

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are clear: employers must apply the same health and safety protections to temporary, agency, part-time, and zero-hours workers as they do to permanent staff. If an employee lifts, moves, or handles objects or people as part of their role, they need the same level of competent training as anyone else on the team, regardless of how long they’re expected to be with the organisation. 

This isn’t a grey area, courts and enforcing authorities have made it clear that a “quick induction” or informal guidance from colleagues does not meet the standard of adequate training. Keeping records of the training that was given, when, and to whom is another key part of demonstrating compliance, in case an incident is ever investigated. 

Why Temporary Staff Are Often Overlooked 

It’s easy to see how temporary workers slip through the cracks; they are brought in to solve an immediate problem, often during busy periods when time is already tight, and formal training can feel like a delay the business can’t afford. However, the risk of injury doesn’t reduce because someone is new, and in many cases, workers unfamiliar with a site’s specific hazards are at greater risk. 

A Practical Solution 

Rather than sending every new starter on an external course, many organisations are choosing to train up a manager or key member of staff through our manual handling or people handling train the trainer courses. This creates in-house expertise that’s ready to train new starters, temporary or permanent, as soon as they join, without the delay or ongoing cost of external training for every individual. 

Protect Your Workers and Your Organisation 

Whatever your workforce looks like, every employee who handles loads or people as part of their role deserves training that’s competent, relevant, and properly recorded. Take a look at our Manual Handling Train the Trainer or People Handling: Train the Trainer courses.