Workers are as likely to have an accident in the first six months at a workplace as during the whole of the rest of their working life.
With many seasonal jobs being filled at this time of year, it is important that employers protect the health and safety of gig economy, agency and temporary workers.

The HSE website has guidance to help users and suppliers of agency and temporary workers understand their health and safety responsibilities.

This guidance will help workers, end users and suppliers involved in the gig economy, agency and temporary work to understand their health and safety responsibilities.

The gig economy is growing, and the ways people work are changing so employers need to think differently about how to keep workers healthy and safe. It typically covers short-term, informal working relationships where work is generally:

• on-demand
• obtained through an online platform
• delivered on a task-by-task basis

It cuts across many sectors, where ‘gig economy’ can have different meanings and working practices, but it is mainly associated with the transport and logistics sectors, for example courier work.

For health and safety purposes, gig economy workers should be treated no differently to other workers and will often identify as agency or temporary workers, or self-employed. They may also be ‘limb (b) workers’ and entitled to certain employment rights as a result.

There is separate advice for gig economy, agency or temporary workers themselves. It covers their rights and their own responsibilities under health and safety law.

If you are an agency or temporary worker then your health and safety is protected by law and employment businesses (agencies) have a duty to make sure they follow it.