New employee safety training

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Start new employee safety training to keep fresh hires on a safer track at work

There’s a lot to learn as a new hire, from the company rules to location of break rooms. And all of it’s important. But how much new employee safety training is part of your company’s orientation process?

Budget cuts have impacted all kinds of training programs. And sadly, safety training has been among the hardest hit in many companies. The result has been an increase in workplace accidents, injury and even fatalities. When it comes to safety, there are no safe corners to cut.

So how does your new employee safety training program measure up? Check out these critical elements of new hire (and existing staff) safety training, and identify the areas where you need to beef up the information and enforcement of on-the-job safe workplace practices.

MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheets)

If your workplace uses hazardous chemicals or materials, employees need to know what to expect and how to handle them. Make sure your company has clearly marked “Right to know” MSDS displays with current MSDS in binders. Then train new employees in how and why to use them.

If language is an issue, be sure you provide both the training, and the sheets, in the right translation.

Lockout/Tag Out

Broken, dangerous or under-repair equipment is an accident waiting to happen if proper Lockout/Tag out procedures aren’t followed. Make sure all new employees understand the tagging system for your company, as well as the penalties for failing to tag or follow tagging rules.

PE (Protective Equipment)

Does your current new employee orientation cover required and recommended protective equipment? If not, make sure all new hires are provided with information about the times, locations and situations where PE is mandated, as well as those where best workplace safety practices suggest it.

Hazardous spills

Learning how to deal with hazardous spills is another critical, but all too often neglected aspect of employee safety training. Make sure you have the chemical and biological waste clean up tools needed to handle whatever might occur on the job, then provide clear and thorough training to all new and existing employees on how and when to use each procedure.

Electrical safety training

No matter what kind of workplace you have, electrical safety issues need to be addressed with new employees.

Even in an office setting, common practices like daisy-chaining extension cords, by-passing grounded plugs by using adapters and water hazards around outlets can arise, so remember to included administrative and clerical new hires in your training programs as well.

Extreme weather safety

If employees at your company are likely to face extremes of temperature, make sure weather safety and the right extreme-weather clothing is a part of your new employee orientation. Training staff on symptoms and treatment of exposure, frostbite, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can prevent more serious consequences.

Whether your company is OSHA-mandated or not …

Even if your business is in a office or retail setting, you still need to include safety training in your employee education. Make sure office machines, cleaning and copying chemicals, electrical devices, overhead storage and other potential hazards are addressed before an accident happens.