Casual, temporary and migrant working project

Aim

To reduce the levels of risk, injury and ill health experienced by casual, temporary, migrant or other vulnerable workers in agriculture, horticulture and related on-farm food processing sectors through the provision of authoritative advice and guidance.

Contribution to PSA target

Links directly with the HSC’s strategy on migrant working and HSE’s reactive work programme with respect to the investigation of reported injury and ill health amongst the target groups.
Given gross under-reporting of work-related injury and ill-health amongst the casual, temporary and migrant work force in the industry it is not possible to estimate the potential contribution of this project to the PSA targets for reducing fatal and major injuries or ill health in agriculture.

Objectives

1). To develop basic, generic guidance for employees on their rights and responsibilities under health and safety in agriculture and  horticulture ( Question: Do we still want to extend the guidance to include primary on-farm food processing?) which:

• Identifies and gives information on the key health and safety risks to which casual, temporary and migrant workers are likely to be exposed;
• Identifies relevant control measures and standards e.g. need for instruction, training and supervision and for appropriate authorisation/ licensing for operating workplace transport;
• Provides guidance on duties and responsibilities; and
• Directs workers to sources of further advice, guidance and enforcement agencies.

2). To explore the scope for and promote the translation of key advice into the most appropriate foreign languages; and

3). To develop best practice guidance for small scale labour users (farmers/ growers) employers on managing health and safety in these sectors in conjunction with key stakeholders e.g. Home Office (SAWs), the Gangmaster Licensing Authority etc.

4). To develop a communications strategy to promote and disseminate the guidance for employees within the industry. Partner organisations might include the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), Defra (in particular the Whole Farm Approach initiative), the Association of Labour Providers (ALP), the National Association of Citizens’ Advice Bureaux (NACAB), stakeholders within the fresh produce supply chain and the farming press.

Future objectives/work streams might include:

• Reviewing and exploiting the outcomes of current HSE-sponsored research into the best mechanisms for delivering key messages to foreign workers in agriculture ;
• Reviewing viable mechanisms – including the fresh produce supply and retail chains - for raising the skills, knowledge and competences of labour providers and users in managing health and safety in the industry;
• Exploring the potential for disseminating information on employees rights and responsibilities under UK health and safety legislation through the recruitment and labour supply chains based on the European mainland.

Products and outcomes (Deliverables)

Initially:

• Basic guidance for casual and temporary workers (translated as appropriate and necessary) on key health and safety issues and controls, legal duties and responsibilities and sources of further information and guidance.

Subsequent workstreams:

• Good/best practice guidance for small scale labour users (farmers/growers)  on managing the health and safety of casual, temporary and migrant workers in agriculture and horticulture
• Developing guidance on the provision of information, training and supervision in those sectors e.g. pack houses/on-farm, primary food processing where guidance is currently not available;
• Projects for raising the skills, knowledge and competences of labour providers and users in managing health and safety in the industry;   

Communication

The project should seek:

• To identify and actively seek opportunities to promote health and safety messages relevant to the target sectors
• To ensure and promote consistent interpretation of regulations, codes of practice, information and advice
• To communicate key messages on HSC/E’s health and safety priority topics e.g. falls from height, workplace transport, musculo-skeletal disorders and occupational health;
• To coordinate and exploit communication opportunities with HSE, Defra, the GLA and industry stakeholders to maximise impact
• To ensure that all products/services developed reflect and comply with HSE’s Race Equality Scheme/Strategy

Tasks and milestones

Initially we envisage the project as having four stages:

1. Identification of existing work on good/best practice to avoid duplication of effort. It is important that the project should ‘add value’ and exploit the advantages and status of the AIAC’s relationship with the Commission.

2. Explore the potential and willingness of future partner organisations, both:

• Project group partners/co-optees; and
• Communications partners.

3. Workstreams to develop:

• Generic guidance for employees on their rights and responsibilities under UK health and safety legislation
• Guidance for small scale labour users on employing, casual, temporary and migrant labour.

4. Development and implementation of the project’s communications strategy

Timescales have yet to be agreed by the group.

Resources (including Project Team membership)

Chair	Janet Gee	NFYFC
Members	Graeme Walker	HSE
	Chris McCann	ASDA
	Jill Hewitt	NAAC
	Madge Moore	Lantra
	David Mattey	RISG – IOSH*
	Ivan Monckton	TGWU
Co-opted members	Nick Moulson	Work Permits (UK)

* Risk Industry Specialist Group, IOSH

Risk register

TBA

Dependencies and major assumptions

TBA

Project Management

TBA

Evaluation

TBA

Meetings

• AIAC Paper 08-11-04 (11 November 08) - Proposal for the existing ‘Casual, Temporary and Migrant Workers Project Group’ to be replaced by a ‘Vulnerable Workers Project Group’ with new terms of reference
• IOSH Summary for Casual, Temporary & Migrant Workers Project
• Lantra Health & Safety Training Scheme Migrant Workers Paper

Agendas	Papers	Minutes
30 September 2008
		Action notes 30/09/08
12 June 2007
Agenda 12/06/07		Minutes 12/06/07
23 April 2007
Agenda 23/04/07	Points for AIAC meeting 2 May 07 Feedback on the migrant workers pocket card Draft guidance for small and medium size businesses in agriculture and related industries on employing temporary & migrant workers	Minutes 23/04/07
15 February 2007
		Minutes 15/02/07
3 October 2006
Agenda 03/10/06		Minutes 03/10/06
23 May 2006
Agenda 23/05/06
16 February 2006
Agenda 16/02/06		Minutes 16/02/06
15 December 2005
Agenda 15/12/05		Minutes 15/12/05
23 September 2005
		Minutes 23/09/05