Health and safety of homecare workers engaged by temporary employment agencies

Shifts in demographics, lifestyles and employment and business practices are generating increased demand for homecare services. While providing support to vulnerable members of the community, homecare workers are themselves vulnerable. Precarious work and isolated workplaces expose them to poorly controlled occupational health and safety (OHS) hazards. This study examined OHS issues encountered by homecare agency workers. Eighteen carers working in aged care, disability support and youth services were interviewed in Adelaide and the Barossa Valley, South Australia. Participants identified a range of OHS problems, including inadequate risk assessment, unsatisfactory OHS policies and procedures, poor training, lack of employment benefits, problematic working hours, lack of agency support and the demands of particular types of work. These findings provide preliminary evidence of significant OHS management deficiencies. The results require further investigation to guide the development of policies and practices intended to provide healthy, productive and sustainable work environments for homecare workers. Such policies and practices should address compliance with OHS and workers’ compensation legislation, the prevention of negative OHS outcomes, provision of effective mechanisms for workers to raise OHS concerns and implementation of support structures.