Mentoring New Workers
New workers are injured at much higher rates in their first months on the job. Classroom training helps, but what really shapes a new worker’s habits is the experienced person working beside them. A good mentor can be the difference between a long career and a serious injury.
- Experienced workers
- Foremen
- Apprentices
Photo: journeyman showing an apprentice how to inspect a harness
Why new workers get hurt
- They don’t yet recognize hazards that are obvious to experienced workers.
- They want to impress, so they don’t ask questions or say no.
- They copy what they see, including shortcuts.
- They may be given tasks or equipment they haven’t been trained on.
The buddy system
- Pair each new worker with an experienced, safety-minded worker for at least the first weeks.
- Keep new workers within sight and hearing of their buddy.
- Make sure the buddy has time to teach, not just a full workload.
- Identify new workers so others watch out for them (some sites use a different hard hat color or sticker).
Teaching a task: show, explain, watch
- Explain the task, the hazards and why each step matters.
- Show how it’s done, the right way, at a normal pace.
- Watch them do it, and coach.
- Ask them to explain it back, including what could go wrong.
- Check in again later; habits form in the first few times.
Make it safe to speak up
- Tell new workers directly: “There are no dumb questions. If you’re not sure, stop and ask me.”
- Thank them when they ask or raise a concern.
- Tell them about their right to stop unsafe work. See Stop-Work Authority.
- Never haze or pressure new workers into risky tasks.
Set the example
New workers do what you do, not what you say. Wear your PPE, tie off, lock out and use guards every time, especially when they’re watching. See Complacency.
Young workers
Workers under 18 have extra legal limits on what tasks and equipment they can use. See Young Workers.
Standards & references
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