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A new employee’s first few days on the job are a crucial time for conveying essential safety information and establishing a proper orientation to workplace safety.
During that time, someone—either your safety staff, the new employee’s supervisor, or an experienced employee appointed by the supervisor—must:
- Reinforce the message about the organization’s commitment to safety.
- Explain your accident prevention programs.
- Talk about hazard reporting procedures and the need to report hazards spotted anywhere in the facility, not just the employee’s own work area.
- Discuss personal protective equipment (PPE) selection, inspection, and use requirements.
- Talk about safety signage and other information that helps keep workers safe.
- Discuss in more detail safety policies, rules, and procedures related to the new worker’s job.
- Preview upcoming training and talk about training schedules.
- Encourage and answer any questions new hires have about their safety on the job.
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Messaging Matters
A study from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago reported that 85 percent of American workers rank job safety as a number-one priority. Are you sending the message that the safety of your employees is also your number-one priority?
Consider the ways you show new hires how important safety is in your workplace. For example:
- Does top management play a visible role in workplace safety, supporting and facilitating safety programs and initiatives?
- Does your organization integrate safe work practices with other job expectations?
- Is safety performance evaluated as part of an employee’s overall job performance?
- Do you promote an employee-driven safety culture that listens to and acts on employees’ safety suggestions and concerns?
- Do you have an active and empowered safety committee?
- Do you maintain a clean and orderly workplace and create a comfortable environment for employees to work in?
- Do supervisors enforce safety rules consistently?
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Your safety orientation program and the importance you give to safety generally say a lot about the importance of safety in your workplace. And remember—even if they don’t say so, the majority of new employees are deeply concerned about their safety on the job.