Court Limits Employer Liability for Workplace Safety of Independent Contractors

Posted on Fri, Oct 14, 2011

In an important ruling for employers, the California Supreme Court clarified
an employer’s duty relating to workplace safety of independent contractors. The
court held that an employer can delegate the duty to ensure the safety of the
specific workplace that is the subject of the contract to the independent
contractor.

The court also held that the employer will generally not be liable if one of
the independent contractor’s workers is then hurt on the job. SeaBright v.
US Airways
, 52 Cal.4th 590 (2011).
Level of Responsibility

The case involved an airline that hired an independent contractor to maintain
and repair a conveyor used to move to luggage.

US Airways hired Lloyd W. Aubry Co. (Aubry) to maintain and repair US
Airways' luggage conveyor at San Francisco International Airport. Because Aubry
was hired as an independent contractor, the airline did not direct Aubry’s work
or direct airline employees to participate in Aubry’s work.

Aubry employed Anthony Verdon Lujan, who was injured while performing an
inspection of the conveyor. Verdon’s arm got caught in the conveyor's moving
parts, and the conveyor lacked certain safety guards required by
regulations.

Aubry’s workers’ compensation insurer, SeaBright Insurance, paid Verdon
benefits based on his injury. SeaBright then sued US Airways, claiming the
airline caused Verdon’s injury and seeking to recover what it paid in benefits.
Verdon also sued US Airways for negligence.

SeaBright argued that US Airways was liable because of its obligations under
Cal/OSHA to provide a "safe workplace." The issue was whether US Airways could
delegate that obligation to its contractor, with respect to the safety of the
contractor’s employees. The California Supreme Court held that it could.

The court noted that the general rule is that when employees of independent
contractors are injured in the workplace, they cannot sue the person or entity
that hired the contractor to do the work. Privette v. Superior Court, 5
Cal.4th 689 (1993)

The court held that when a company hires an independent contractor, the
company delegates to the contractor any legal duty it owes to the contractor’s
employees to ensure the safety of the specific workplace that is the subject of
the contract.

The company which hired the independent contractor would face liability for
the injury only if the company retained control over the independent
contractor’s work and exercised control in a way that "affirmatively
contributed" to the injury. Hooker v. Department of Transportation, 27
Cal. 4th 198 (2001)

The ruling does not change the fact that US Airways owes its own employees
the duty to provide a safe workplace and that the airline cannot delegate that
duty.

Best Practices



  • Clarify any duties and responsibilities that you are delegating to your
    independent contractor

  • Carefully describe in your independent contractor agreement who is
    responsible for duties such as workplace safety

  • Once you delegate those duties to your independent contractor, relinquish
    control

  • Exercising control over the work performed, including time and location, is
    one of the most common misclassification mistakes

  • If you continue to control how your independent contractor performs and
    handles its duties and responsibilities, you could be liable - - regardless of
    what your written agreement says


Copyright: HRC/Cal Chamber

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