When new workers are hired, one of the first things they need to learn is to work safely. Their safety is important to you—and it’s important to them.
According to a recent study from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, more than 8 out of 10 workers say that their safety on the job is their top concern. Workers rank safety ahead of other labor issues such as overtime pay, paid sick days, family and maternity leave, minimum wage, and the right to join a union.
And yet, typically, new employee orientation often focuses on paperwork and other details and not much on the job hazards new workers will face on a daily basis.
It’s not surprising then that statistics show new employees are the most likely to have accidents and be injured on the job.
How about your new hires? Does your safety onboarding program:
- Create safety awareness?
- Teach safety basics?
- Introduce new workers to safety
- Focus on accident prevention?
Or is it a “typical” orientation that leaves new workers vulnerable to injury and their co-workers at the mercy of people who don’t know the hazards of their jobs or the precautions required for safe performance?
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What to Cover
Safety orientation should cover at least these 15 basics for all employees, along with job-specific information:
- General hazards in the work area
- Specific hazards involved in each task the employee performs
- Hazards associated with other areas of the facility
- Safety policies and basic safety rules
- Proper safety practices and procedures to prevent accidents
- Who to talk to about safety questions, problems, etc.
- How to report accidents, near misses, and emergencies
- Emergency evacuation procedures and routes
- The location of emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers, eyewash stations, first-aid supplies, etc.
- How to select, use, and care for personal protective equipment
- Safe housekeeping rules
- Facility security procedures and systems
- How to use tools and equipment safely
- Safe lifting techniques and materials-handling procedures
- Hazard communication topics such as safe handling and storage of hazardous materials and the use of labels and MSDSs
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Who Should Conduct the Orientation?
For companies with a safety or HR manager, the manager can conduct the classroom part of orientation/training, prepare orientation materials (handouts, forms, checklists, etc.), conduct the Day 1 safety basics orientation, and maintain all documentation about the employee’s orientation. The facility supervisor(s) can conduct the on-the-job training and observation (with the help of experienced employees).
For employers without a safety manager or trainer-qualified HR manager, the company safety committee, HR manager, and department supervisor can share responsibility for new employee safety orientation. The safety committee and HR manager can put together the orientation materials, conduct the Day 1 orientation, and keep the orientation records. The department where employees will work can conduct the hands-on training.
Orientation Program Evaluation
Safety onboard programs can be evaluated, updated, and improved by reviewing accident and near-miss reports. An evaluation of illness and injury logs can also serve as a catalyst for adjustments to safety orientation and training programs.
Note About Temps
If you hire workers from a temp agency, both the temp agency and you are responsible for documenting that the employees were trained to understand and avoid all potential hazards at the your work site. Therefore, you need to run a safety orientation for temps that familiarizes them with the particular hazards of your workplace and the specific procedures you use to protect employees from those hazards.