09 Aug Give New Co-Workers Your Support!

Give New Co-Workers Your Support!

Starting a new job can be challenging. New employees must learn unfamiliar tasks, equipment, procedures, work areas, and safety requirements—often in a short period of time. Even experienced workers may be unfamiliar with a new employer’s procedures or jobsite hazards.

Experienced employees can help new co-workers become productive without sacrificing safety. A supportive crew encourages questions, reinforces safe work practices, and leads by example.

Help New Employees Get Oriented

Company orientation and required training are only the beginning. Once a new employee enters the work area, experienced co-workers can help them become familiar with day-to-day operations.

Help new employees by:

• Introducing yourself and explaining your role.
• Showing them important work areas and site-specific hazards.
• Pointing out emergency exits, evacuation routes, assembly areas, first aid supplies, fire extinguishers, eyewash stations, and other emergency equipment.
• Showing them the location of restrooms, break areas, and other necessary facilities.
• Explaining normal communication practices and who to contact when assistance is needed.
• Encouraging them to ask questions whenever instructions or procedures are unclear.

Never assume that someone understands a procedure simply because they have previous experience.

Reinforce Training—Don’t Replace It

Experienced employees can provide valuable guidance, but informal instruction should never replace required training or authorization.

Do not encourage a new employee to perform a task unless they have received the required training and are authorized to perform it. This is especially important when work involves:

• Powered industrial trucks or heavy equipment.
• Electrical hazards.
• Lockout/tagout.
• Confined spaces.
• Fall protection.
• Respiratory protection.
• Hazardous chemicals.
• Cranes, rigging, or hoisting.
• Specialized tools or machinery.

If you are unsure whether a new employee is qualified or authorized to perform a task, contact the supervisor before allowing the work to proceed.

Encourage Questions

New employees may hesitate to ask questions because they do not want to appear inexperienced. Make it clear that asking questions is expected when something is unclear.

If a new employee seems uncertain:

• Stop and discuss the task.
• Review the applicable procedure.
• Demonstrate the safe method when appropriate.
• Refer questions outside your knowledge or authority to the supervisor.
• Never tell someone to “just figure it out” when safety could be affected.

Production pressure should never discourage an employee from asking for assistance.

Watch for PPE and Safe Work Practices

Help new employees understand the PPE requirements for their work area and assigned tasks. If you notice PPE being worn incorrectly or a safe work practice being missed, address the situation promptly and respectfully.

A simple reminder may prevent an injury.

If you observe an imminent or serious hazard, warn the employee immediately and notify the supervisor so the condition can be corrected.

Be a Mentor

When appropriate, experienced employees may serve as mentors to new workers. A good mentor:

• Demonstrates safe work practices.
• Explains why procedures are important.
• Answers questions honestly.
• Does not teach shortcuts or unofficial work methods.
• Helps the employee recognize hazards.
• Reinforces company procedures and work rules.
• Encourages the employee to report unsafe conditions, incidents, and near misses.
• Checks periodically to ensure instructions are understood.

Remember that a new employee may not know which practices are acceptable. What experienced employees do may be copied by new employees, including unsafe shortcuts.

Lead by Example

One of the most effective ways to influence a new employee is through your own behavior.

If experienced employees bypass guards, ignore PPE requirements, take shortcuts, or disregard procedures, new employees may assume those behaviors are acceptable.

Instead:

• Wear required PPE.
• Inspect tools and equipment.
• Follow established procedures.
• Maintain good housekeeping.
• Use required fall protection.
• Follow traffic and equipment rules.
• Report hazards and defective equipment.
• Stop and ask questions when conditions are uncertain.

Don’t teach someone one procedure while demonstrating another.

Make New Employees Part of the Team

A positive work environment makes it easier for employees to communicate concerns and ask for assistance. Include new employees in appropriate crew discussions, pre-task planning, toolbox meetings, and breaks.

Encourage them to participate in hazard assessments and speak up when they notice something that does not look right. A new employee may notice a hazard that experienced employees have become accustomed to seeing.

Remember

A new employee’s safety is a team responsibility. Provide guidance, encourage questions, reinforce required training, correct unsafe practices, and most importantly, lead by example. Helping a new co-worker develop safe habits protects the new employee—and everyone working around them.