As students head back to school at this time of year, make sure your new employees attend your safety “school” during their first days on the job. Give them the safety training they need before they start work.
Your new hires need to be made aware of how serious safety training is right from the start. In your first meetings with your new employees, reinforce the need for caution and appropriate protective equipment for each task. Emphasize that all unsafe conditions, accidents, and "near misses" must be reported immediately. Show them what equipment they can and cannot operate without your authorization.
Before assigning tasks to your new employees, take the time to welcome them into your organization. Walk them around the facility and introduce them to their coworkers. Encourage veteran employees to help newer workers feel at ease. Your efforts will make both new and veteran workers feel they are contributing to the success of your company.
Cover these basics:
- The proper safety practices to use and hazards to be aware of within your department
- What to do if there is an accident or injury
- How to report emergencies
- How to report accidents and near misses
- How to report a workers’ comp injury and file a claim
- The location of safety data sheets (MSDS/SDS)
- How to care for and use personal protective equipment (PPE)
- How to use tools, machinery, or hazardous processes
- What housekeeping and personal cleanup rules must be followed
- The location of emergency equipment, first-aid supplies, and designated smoking areas
Use hands-on demonstrations to make sure that your new employees understand the correct procedures completely. Then provide them with a written list of safety rules and policies, and have them sign it.
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Here is a safety policy that can be adapted to your workplace:
It is the intent of this company to maintain a safe workplace. To do this, we must constantly be aware of conditions that can produce injuries. Your cooperation in detecting actual or potential hazards, controlling hazards, and reporting these hazards, is a condition of your employment.
By conducting new employee safety training, you are demonstrating to new hires how concerned you are about accident prevention. Also encourage them to suggest ways to improve their own safety.
Schedule a follow-up meeting a few days after your initial orientation. You can judge if new workers understand and are using safe work practices. Answer any questions they may have. Use a checklist to review each of the specific safety practices covered in your meeting. Then have them demonstrate what they learned.
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By initiating a thorough orientation and safety training program, you are helping to keep employee morale high while minimizing accident and injury rates.
Why It Matters
- Statistics reveal that workers are the most susceptible to injuries during their first month on the job.
- That’s why you need to provide basic safety training to new hires as soon as they come under your supervision.
- Make safety training a key part of your new employee orientation.