Thursday 27 November 2003 - News - Health and safety
Extra safeguards for temporary agency workers
Employment agencies supplying
temporary staff to work with children and the elderly will have
to carry out extra checks under measures announced by the Government
today.
The new safeguards will mean that agencies will have to obtain copies of relevant qualifications and two references. If adverse information comes to light, agencies will have to withdraw temps from employment.
The move comes into force next April and will affect more than 500,000 workers on the books of 17,000 agencies.
Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said: "These safeguards will help ensure that vulnerable groups are looked after by suitable people.
"In the future, everyone who uses the services provided by agencies and employment businesses can have greater confidence in them - both those companies that use them to supply staff as well as the agency workers themselves."
The measures also include agencies having to obtain information on any health and safety risks known to the hirer and the steps taken to prevent or control those risks.
Max Herd
The new safeguards will mean that agencies will have to obtain copies of relevant qualifications and two references. If adverse information comes to light, agencies will have to withdraw temps from employment.
The move comes into force next April and will affect more than 500,000 workers on the books of 17,000 agencies.
Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said: "These safeguards will help ensure that vulnerable groups are looked after by suitable people.
"In the future, everyone who uses the services provided by agencies and employment businesses can have greater confidence in them - both those companies that use them to supply staff as well as the agency workers themselves."
The measures also include agencies having to obtain information on any health and safety risks known to the hirer and the steps taken to prevent or control those risks.
Max Herd
