Safety training for newly hired technicians is especially important because research shows that 40 percent of all workers injured on the job have been doing the job less than a year, reported a recent Safety Daily Advisor e-newsletter from Business & Legal Reports (BLR), a company that provides legal compliance and professional support resources to safety, human resource and environmental professionals (www.blr.com).
To help reduce these injuries, BLR advised giving new hires an effective and comprehensive safety orientation, and then ensuring ongoing safe work practices by regularly following up on the orientation training.
During the safety orientation period, the BLR recommended introducing new workers to all the basic safety information that applies to their work areas, such as:
- General hazards in their work area.
- Specific hazards involved in each task they perform.
- Company safety policies and work rules.
- Proper safety practices and procedures to prevent accidents.
- The location of emergency equipment, such as fire extinguishers, eyewash stations and first-aid supplies.
- Emergency evacuation procedures and routes.
- Who to talk to about safety questions, problems, concerns, etc.
- What to do in the event of an accident or injury.
- How to report emergencies, accidents and near misses.
- How to select, use and care for personal protective equipment.
- Safe housekeeping rules.
- Safe methods for handling, using and storing hazardous materials and the location of safety data sheets.
