New Workers and Safety

12/9/2019

Many organizations make a cognizant effort to hire new blood as this ensures that stagnation within their workforce does not become a problem.  By having new hires, long-time employees can be used as mentors, providing knowledge on company procedures and processes; thus, ensuring that company protocol is reviewed – even by the experienced professionals. In addition, adding new persons to the organization ensures the working base is maintained.

However, according to studies, new hires are at a greater risk for accidents. Research shows that employees in their first month have more than 3 times the risk for a lost-time injury than workers who have been at their job for more than a year.  This statistic correlates to findings that only 1 out of 5 new workers receive safety training. Such professions where this is an acute problem rests within the construction and agriculture industries.

According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly one-third of the nonfatal occupational injuries or illnesses that involved time away from work were suffered by workers with less than one year of service. Meanwhile the National Safety Council asserts that nearly one-quarter of these cases resulted in 31 or more days away from work – for each case!. 

In the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry, 45.4 percent of the injuries and illnesses occurred among workers with less than one year of experience. In the construction and extraction industry, it was 34.9 percent.

New workers may be performing unfamiliar tasks – some of them hazardous while being unfamiliar with their safety rights and responsibilities while feeling uncomfortable about speaking up when they see a workplace hazard.

A common misconception is that when the term, “new hire” is used, it is automatically assumed that the inference is for young persons. Yet, research has shown that workplace risks are higher among new workers who were older. This may be because assigned job tasks have more physical demands, and older workers might be more physically susceptible to injury..

Nevertheless, a new worker at any age is at risk and that experience is more important than age. For instance, experts in the field of employment in the construction industry have voiced their preference to hire a 16-year-old who has been on the job for a year as opposed to a 40-year-old who has been on the job for the first month.

OSHA has focused initiatives on protecting young workers and temp workers – both of whom often fall into the category of new workers. Former OSHA administrator David Michaels noted that “we have known for decades that new workers, when they first start at a new job, are at greatly increased risk of injury – and we know why: New workers are often not adequately trained in the potential hazards at the new jobsite and the measures they can take to protect themselves.”

Training – especially orientation and reinforcement – is paramount to protecting new workers. Supervisors need to understand what each employee has been trained for, and therefore, assign the appropriate tasks to them.

Through mentoring programs, new hires can be trained to an extremely effective level. This includes using the buddy system – with the understanding that the new hire’s buddy is an experienced worker. This “on-the-job” method can help ensure that new hire training is a continuous process, while allowing new workers to increase their knowledge, awareness and skills before moving on to assignments for which they may not be ready.

It is important that we understand that people are individuals and therefore, each one of us, learn differently. Some need more hands-on experience while others respond more favorably to auditory instruction. Therefore, adapting various training methods can increase the effectiveness of new hires to understand the various complexities and nuances of their work assignments.    

New workers should receive safety orientation specific to the workplace. Evidence has shown that real-life practice scenarios, even if it’s simulated, is an effective tool.  However, experts agree, the more real the training and the more in-context it is, the better the training.

Trained instructors should conduct the orientation, and having experienced workers participate and share personal stories is valuable. The orientation should include hands-on training. The main thing is that the employer needs to provide a strong, clear message about safety, including the importance of safety and how safety will be implemented within the organization.

Many organizations use the following elements for an effective orientation:

• Site-specific information, including identifying present and expected hazards and how they are handled, as well as required personal protective equipment
• Hazard assessments
• Encouraging workers to identify and report hazards to a supervisor
• Safety culture
• Reporting injuries and incidents without repercussion
• Participating in the safety program and being safety stewards
• Knowing what to do in an emergency

Reinforcement is crucial. Revisit new workers after a month to track their progress. Continue with weekly toolbox talks to reiterate information while supervising workers to ensure they are identifying and fixing hazards and reporting issues.

New workers should start in low-risk situations and advance to higher-risk work as they gain knowledge and skills while encouraging new hires to perform hands-on tasks. The fact is people learn by doing.  And the more a task is done, the more confident new hires will be.

Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option

Maya Angelou