Results of the 2022 interim and security campaign: continued support for companies

An interim diagnosis carried out with companies also made it possible to draw up an inventory of their management of temporary workers and to identify areas for improvement. Indeed, even if temporary work appears to be necessary for the proper functioning of the sector, its management is felt to be difficult for a majority of companies (56%), and the reception and support procedures are not very well defined.

Changing mindsets around temporary work

Due to the great diversity of activities and significant variations in daily workload, the construction industry relies heavily on temporary workers, which suffers from a high loss ratio[1], much higher than that of permanent employees. Like all employees in the construction industry, and in particular newcomers, these employees need support to properly understand all aspects of prevention and thus preserve their health and safety.

This is why, as part of its @Horizon 2025 strategic plan, the OPPBTP has selected temporary work as one of the priority action themes to reduce serious and fatal accidents and improve the working conditions of temporary workers.

The OPPBTP therefore launched a campaign aimed at construction companies, the objective of which was to make companies aware of the benefits they can derive from the good integration of their temporary workers: reduction of accidents, improvement of the performance of sites, skills development thanks to good support, staff loyalty and attractiveness of the company.

A campaign that has generated many exchanges and set up actions

At the end of the campaign, the OPPBTP carried out a study[2] with Viavoice in order to measure its concrete impact on companies in the sector.

• The campaign succeeded in reaching a large proportion of companies using temporary workers, since 85% of respondents who remembered the campaign recognized at least one element of it. The emails were the most impactful element (78% remember them), followed by the poster (52%).
• It led companies to take a greater interest in the subject since, among people who remembered the campaign, 29% went to the dedicated site lepacksecuriteinterimairesBTP.fr, and 11% downloaded an item from the toolbox there. .
• In addition, 25% took action (12% displayed elements of the campaign in the premises, 9% organized information meetings internally, 20% declared that they discussed it with those around them, within their company).
• 64% of people who remember the campaign also expressed some interest in it, and half say it has the potential to change the behaviors of their teams (56%).
• Finally, companies having benefited from a diagnosis are satisfied with it (83%).

Interim diagnosis: profiles considered necessary, but whose management is often perceived as complicated, with poorly defined internal processes

The campaign was also an opportunity to carry out 513 field diagnostics with construction companies, supplemented by 177 online surveys. These diagnoses were based on the assessment of three foundations for the successful integration of temporary workers: anticipation, reception and support for these personnel. They have thus made it possible to draw up an inventory of the level of maturity of companies with regard to the reception of temporary workers and to identify areas for improvement.

• Temporary workers being perceived as important for companies, the latter aim to do everything possible to ensure the smooth running of the mission, in particular by organizing a reception. However, this reception is often informal: 47% of those surveyed declare that training at the workplace is done informally by the site supervisor. They are 31% to declare carrying out it in a formal way or with reinforced training. In addition, 6 companies out of 10 give a welcome document to temporary workers.
• Internal policies for temporary work appear to be little formalized: only 35% of respondents define a ratio of permanent/temporary employees. In addition, less than one in two respondents has formally defined the roles and missions of the person in charge of integrating temporary workers (2%), knows the list of work prohibited for temporary workers defined in the regulations (45% ), has drawn up a list of positions at particular risk (48%) or generally monitors the accident rate of temporary workers in the company (43%).
• Regarding equipment and PPE: everyone considers it important that temporary staff be as well equipped as permanent staff. However, training in the use of specific PPE is provided in an organized manner for only 26% of the companies surveyed.

Avenues of action to explore to improve the reception of temporary workers

In view of this observation, the OPPBTP has already considered future courses of action to help companies improve the reception and support of temporary workers.

Among the actions envisaged, the Organization wishes in particular to promote the concrete tools that it makes available and which can be useful on a daily basis, such as the "Properly formalize your recruitment request for a temporary employee" tool, the welcome module and the end-of-assignment checklist available on the Check Chantier application, or even the “Welcome – Successful integration of your permanent and temporary staff” training.

The development of an application making it possible to list and organize all the points related to the management of temporary workers could also be considered.

Finally, a booklet on the main lessons of the campaign will be sent to participating companies, and by the end of its @Horizon 2025 strategic plan, the OPPBTP has decided to organize a new campaign targeted on temporary work in the second half of the year. 2024.

The security pack, a toolbox for businesses

During the campaign, a “security pack”, available on a dedicated website, lepacksecuriteinterimairesbtp.fr, was offered to companies. It contained advice and practical tools to help them anticipate the arrival of temporary workers, to better welcome them and support them during their assignment.

• 4 practical sheets
• 30 questions/answers
• 3 videos
• 2 memos written in 5 languages
• 70.000 registered visitors at the end of the campaign
• 1.700 participants in national webinars and information meetings
• 513 “interim diagnosis: anticipate, welcome, support” carried out

[1]: Temporary workers are twice as exposed to the risk of serious and fatal accidents as construction workers. Source: 2 AT/MP claims booklet - National Health Insurance Fund - CTN-B.

[2]: Study carried out by Viavoice for the OPPBTP, from March 30 to April 14, 2023, among 1.968 construction professionals, recipients of campaign awareness emails. 1.231 interviews were conducted online and 737 were conducted by telephone.