Spherion Staffing Services recently earned the Safety Standard of Excellence mark. The Safety Standard of Excellence Program, developed by the American Staffing Association and the National Safety Council, promotes the safety and health of temporary employees placed on assignment with host employers. The program also supports compliance with federal and state occupational safety and health requirements pertaining to the employers' shared responsibility for temporary worker safety. Further, the program defines and measures firms against staffing industry safety best practices.

By participating in the Safety Standard of Excellence Program, staffing companies, their placed workers and host employers can build knowledge and a mutually-beneficial relationship to identify and mitigate, or even eliminate, workplace hazards and exposures, ensure clear communication between the staffing firms and host employers, and clearly delineate responsibilities of each party—all intended to reduce temporary and contract employee injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

"Every worker is entitled to a safe and healthy workplace. That is why we established the Spherion Safety First Program, which combines strict compliance protocols with safety training, awareness and employee recognition. Keeping Spherion workers safe is a critical priority for us, and we are pleased to be recognized by both the American Staffing Association and the National Safety Council for our efforts to do so," said Sandy Mazur, Division President of Spherion Staffing Services. "Completely voluntary, the Safety Standard of Excellence Program entails a rigorous assessment by an independent third party of corporate office policies and procedures, as well as validation across a sample of our branch offices. We earned the Safety Standard of Excellence mark because our firm demonstrated that we're successfully following our industry's safety best practices."

"Companies participating in the Safety Standard of Excellence program are to be commended for taking steps to put their companies' practices under the microscope and seeking to be the best they can be for their temporary workers," said Amy Harper, Ph.D., National Safety Council Director of Workplace Initiatives and Journey to Safety Excellence. "The commitment to safety demonstrated through Safety Standard of Excellence program participation should speak volumes to the clients with whom these staffing firms do business."

"ASA congratulates Spherion for its commitment to protecting and enhancing temporary worker safety, and for being among the first to earn the Safety Standard of Excellence mark," said Stephen C. Dwyer, Esq., ASA general counsel. "Spherion has tangibly demonstrated to clients, candidates and employees its commitment to safety best practices."