Initial Orientation
New workers should receive initial safety orientation when hired and it should be followed by more detailed safety training as necessary before they begin any job that exposes them to a safety hazard.
Initial OSHA safety orientation in a company is necessary for several reasons:
- Compliance with Regulations: Initial orientation helps ensure that both employers and employees understand their legal obligations, the specific safety practices, and consequences of non-compliance in their workplace.
- Risk Reduction: By educating new employees about hazards and the correct use of safety equipment, companies can reduce the risk of accidents and injuries from day one.
- Promoting Safety Culture: Initial safety orientation is an opportunity to instill a safety-as-a-value mindset among new employees.
- Operational Efficiency: Understanding safety procedures and requirements from the beginning helps new employees work more efficiently and safely, reducing downtime due to accidents and improving overall productivity.
- Employee Confidence and Morale: When employees believe that their employer is invested in their safety, it can boost confidence and morale. This, in turn, can lead to higher job satisfaction and retention rates.
Do Not Make These Two Assumptions
Employees have "common sense": The assumption that employees inherently possess "common sense" regarding safety is a mistake supervisors and others might make. It's important to recognize that an individual's ability to make sound safety judgments is shaped by their unique education, training, and personal experiences. Consequently, what seems sensible to one employee might not be obvious or logical to another. In essence, the concept of universal "common sense" is a fallacy. Bottom line: There's no such thing as common sense.
All training is the same: A common misconception among supervisors is the belief that safety training is uniform across all companies. However, the quality and content of the training a new employee has previously received can vary significantly. Therefore, it is important for supervisors not to presume that a new employee's past training is comparable, thereby negating the need for orientation and additional follow-up training.
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4-3. When should initial specific safety orientation occur?
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