Summer season: Vacations and replacements, are your new employees properly trained in OHS?
Summer often means well-deserved vacations for many workers. But behind this sunny season lies an important challenge for employers: replacing absent employees. To maintain operations, many organizations rely on temporary staff, students, or seasonal workers. It’s a practical solution… but one that can become risky if these new team members aren’t properly trained in occupational health and safety (OHS).
A Summer context that increases risks
Between planned vacations, reduced supervision, and reorganized teams, the summer months can disrupt regular work habits. Replacement workers often have to adapt quickly to unfamiliar environments, sometimes technical tasks, and safety procedures they may not yet know. As a result, the risk of accidents rises — especially in sectors like manufacturing, warehousing, food service, construction, and even office settings, where psychosocial risks can emerge.
Temporary Workers = More Vulnerable Workers
Temporary employees often arrive without knowledge of internal procedures or the specific hazards of their new position. Whether experienced or not, their unfamiliarity with the workplace, equipment, and safety reflexes makes them more vulnerable.
Regulatory framework in Québec
In Québec, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (LSST) sets clear obligations for all employers, including those hiring temporary workers. According to Section 51 of the LSST, an employer must “properly inform the worker about the risks associated with their work and provide the training, instruction, and supervision necessary to ensure that the worker has the skills and knowledge required to perform their job safely.”
These obligations apply to all employees, even those hired temporarily or through an agency.
Since the introduction of the Act to Modernize the Occupational Health and Safety System (LMRSST), responsibilities are even more explicit: placement agencies and client companies now share responsibility for ensuring that temporary workers are properly trained, supervised, and protected.
In short, training temporary employees in OHS isn’t just a best practice — it’s a legal obligation.
Human and organizational impacts
A poorly trained temporary worker is more likely to suffer a workplace accident or occupational illness — or to endanger colleagues and cause costly incidents. Beyond the human toll, companies face work stoppages, productivity losses, and even CNESST penalties related to legal non-compliance. Not to mention the negative impact on workplace morale.
Better safe than sorry: best practices to adopt
The key to reducing these risks? Prepare and supervise replacements from the start.
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Ensure that supervisors and managers have the time and knowledge to properly support seasonal workers.
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Train temporary employees on day one: workplace risks, procedures to follow, and proper use of PPE.
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Assign a mentor or reference person to answer questions and guide them during their first days.
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Use clear tools: job sheets, signage, posted safety rules, and accessible emergency procedures.
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Reinforce safety culture: encourage questions, recognize safe behaviors, and include temporary staff in prevention initiatives.
While training temporary workers takes time and resources, it’s a long-term investment that helps:
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Reduce workplace accidents and associated costs
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Improve productivity through faster onboarding
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Protect the organization legally in case of an incident
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Strengthen the company’s employer brand
Anticipating Replacements Is Prevention in Action
Instead of managing replacements at the last minute, it’s better to plan OHS training needs before summer begins. This ensures that all employees — regardless of how long they stay — work in a safe environment.
At Santinel, we support companies every step of the way in their prevention strategies, including during transition periods such as summer vacations. Whether it’s through training, risk assessment, safe onboarding support for temporary workers, or manager training to make them true OHS ambassadors — our team is here to help you make safety a year-round priority.
