US employment law question. Proper grammar and English please. No one-liners, explain your answers. Thanks
The Scenario
You are the President/CEO of a publicly-traded manufacturing/service organization that makes work uniforms (police, fire department, military, and industrial) and provides a cleaning service for the uniforms to your customers and others. It is the largest such organization is the United States. Until now, all workers were hired as employees, with full benefits provided. As your stock price started to drop, you have decided with the Board of Directors that the company's competency is making and cleaning uniforms. It is not in the business of repairing the manufacturing and cleaning equipment. Therefore, you have decided to contract out (outsource) the maintenance function at the 10 plants. These workers will be hired as "independent contractors," with no benefits. Your intention is that they will be "controlled" by the maintenance company, and not your company.
The Problem
Your company has had an average safety record. In the last few years, it seems that many OSHA-recordable incidents have occurred during maintenance of the manufacturing equipment and the large washing machines and dryers. You are hopeful that you can pass this obligation to the maintenance contractor. However, you are struggling with what to do with safety training for the contract maintenance workers. You believe that your company really knows all the ins-and-outs of the operation, far better than any outside contractor. You will continue to fully provide safety training for all of your employees, but you are unsure what to do with contract workers.
QUESTION 1: List the company's risks/benefits of providing full-blown safety training for the outside contractors. If an outside contractor gets injured, do you believe that you or the company's shareholders might face liability in not providing the training? Explain.
QUESTION 2: Are there any options to providing full-blown safety training to the outside contractors? List and explain at least 3 options.
QUESTION 3: You probably have a good handle on the legal and financial implications of undertaking the safety training for outside contractors, but are there No