Safety Session Starter: Safety Orientation for New Hires

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.

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 immediately reported.  Show them what equipment they can and cannot operate without your authorization.

Make sure to 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 material safety data sheets (MSDSs)
• How to care for and use personal protective equipment.
• 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. 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. You should 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.

By initiating a thorough orientation and safety training program, you are helping to keep employee morale high while minimizing accident and injury rates. 

SAFETY MEETING CHECKLIST

New Employee Safety Orientation

• Have you welcomed your new hires and provided them with a tour of the facility?
• Have you introduced or paired your new hires with veteran employees?
• Have you emphasized how committed the company is to safety?
• Have you provided your new hires with a written safety policy and list of safety rules and procedures?
• Have you thoroughly explained all safety procedures?
• Have you demonstrated safety practices while showing your new hires how to accomplish their tasks?
• Have you pointed out possible hazards during your orientation?
• Have you explained what types of personal protective equipment are needed for each task and how to use and care for them?
• Did you issue the personal protective equipment to your new hires?
• Have you explained what to do in case of an emergency?
• Have you explained how to report emergencies, accidents, injuries, and near-misses?
• Did you show the location of emergency equipment, first-aid supplies, and evacuation areas?
• Did you demonstrate and explain how to use tools, machinery, processes, and equipment?
• Did you show the location of the material safety data sheets and explain how they are used?
• Did you conduct a follow-up meeting using a checklist to determine if your new hire is using safe work practices?