The U.S. Bureau of Labor reported a total of 1.8 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses in 2022 that resulted in days away from work.¹ As a warehouse leader, every injury on your production floor costs more than medical bills and workers’ comp claims. It costs productivity, team morale, and your ability to meet customer demands. Yet many operations still treat safety as something to endure rather than leverage.
Top-performing facilities understand that warehouse safety isn’t a barrier to productivity. It’s the foundation that makes sustained high performance possible. When you build safety into your staffing best practices, you create an environment where workers stay healthy, present, and productive.
The Hidden ROI of Industrial Workplace Safety
Safety-first operations consistently outperform their risk-taking competitors. Research shows that risk prevention programs often return more than they cost.² These returns and advantages go beyond avoiding OSHA fines. They also lead to the following:
1. Consistent Attendance
Workers don’t miss shifts for preventable injuries. One serious injury can trigger overtime scrambles, rushed hiring, and quality issues that take weeks to recover from.
2. Improved Quality and Speed
Safe workers are confident workers. When employees trust their environment, they move efficiently without hesitation. Proper safety protocols actually speed operations by eliminating uncertainty within the workforce.
3. Retention of Your Best Workers
Nothing drives away quality employees faster than feeling unsafe. When experienced workers see injuries happening, they find safer opportunities elsewhere.
Read more: Safety and Retention Go Hand in Hand: Why Safer Workplaces Keep Employees Longer
Why Temp Workers Face Higher Safety Risks
An analysis of millions of workers’ compensation claims across five states shows a trend: temp workers experience higher risks of being injured compared to non-temps. For example, on-the-job risks for temporary employees are 72 percent higher in Minnesota and 66 percent higher in Massachusetts.³
These higher risks and statistics are not because they’re careless, but because traditional onboarding fails them.
The Familiarity Gap
Permanent employees know the quirks: wet spots, equipment issues, congestion patterns. Temps lack this institutional knowledge that only comes with time.
The Pressure Problem
Temps may push too hard trying to earn permanent positions. They lift more than they should, skip breaks, and ignore strain. This eagerness becomes dangerous without proper guidance.
The Training Crunch
When orders back up, it’s tempting to rush temps through abbreviated safety training. These workers end up unprepared for dangerous situations.
Build Safety into Your Staffing Strategy
Smart safety practices start long before workers hit the floor. Here’s how to integrate protection into every step of your staffing process.
Pre-Screen for Safety Success
Effective injury prevention starts before workers enter your facility. Screen for:
- Physical capabilities matched to job demands
- Previous experience with similar environments
- Understanding of basic safety concepts
- Commitment to following protocols under pressure
Design Temp-Specific Safety Onboarding
Generic safety videos don’t prepare temps for your specific environment. Create targeted onboarding:
- Focus on risks temps face immediately: traffic patterns, emergency exits, PPE requirements, workstation hazards. Save broader training for later.
- Pair temps with safety-conscious veterans who model proper procedures and stop unsafe behaviors immediately.
- Start temps on lower-risk tasks, increasing complexity as they demonstrate safety awareness.
Read more: Critical Safety Training Every Temporary Industrial Worker Needs on Day One
Exceed OSHA Compliance for Better Results
Meeting OSHA standards keeps you legal. Exceeding them keeps you productive. Improve productivity and prevent injuries in light industrial environments with:
- Daily safety huddles addressing shift-specific risks
- Near-miss reporting without punishment
- Team-based safety incentives
- Regular equipment inspections
- Open safety communication channels
Read more: Avoiding Compliance Pitfalls in Warehouse Staffing: What Every Employer Needs to Know This Year
Monitor Leading Indicators
Don’t wait for injuries to reveal gaps. Track:
- Near-miss reports (more reports often mean better culture)
- Safety observation rates
- Time from concern to resolution
- Voluntary training participation
- PPE compliance without enforcement
Creating a Culture of Lasting Safety
Beyond policies and procedures, real safety comes from the culture you build every day. These practices turn safety from rules into reflexes.
Make Safety Visible
- Display injury-free days prominently.
- Recognize hazard identification.
- Share prevented accident stories.
When workers see safety valued publicly, they internalize its importance.
Empower Everyone
Give every worker—including temps—authority to halt unsafe operations without fear. When first-week temps can stop lines for safety and receive praise, you’ve built real culture.
Learn from Close Calls
Treat near-misses as free lessons. Investigate thoroughly, share findings, implement changes quickly. Workers who see real change keep reporting.
Counter-intuitively, temps can strengthen safety culture when managed properly:
- Fresh eyes spot hazards regulars miss
- Questions reveal unclear procedures
- Temps have a motivation to follow rules precisely
All of these provide a great opportunity to reinforce standards with your permanent teams.
Partner with Horizon America for safety-first staffing.
At Horizon America, safety is built into every step of our staffing process.
We deliver:
- Pre-screened candidates with verified safety training
- Workers who understand OSHA compliance and industrial workplace safety
- Site-specific orientation support
- Ongoing safety coaching throughout assignments
- Quick replacement of workers who can’t meet requirements
Our team identifies specific safety requirements for each role, ensuring temps arrive prepared for your environment’s unique challenges. We maintain detailed safety records and provide regular compliance updates.
Ready to build a safer, more productive operation? Contact Horizon America today to discuss how our safety-first staffing approach reduces injuries while improving output.
References
- “Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses Resulting in Days of Job Transfer or Restriction, 1992–2022.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10 Jul. 2024, www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/nonfatal-injuries-and-illnesses-resulting-in-days-of-job-transfer-or-restriction-1992-2022.htm.
- “Return on Investment of Workplace-based Prevention Interventions: A Systematic Review.” PMC, 8 Jun. 2023, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10393479/
- “Temp Workers More Likely To Be Hurt on the Job.” PAJCIC, 2024, www.pajcic.com/temp-workers-more-likely-to-be-hurt-on-the-job/.
