Anthony LaFaziaCEO, Atlantic Training · CEO at Atlantic Training | EdTech & Safety Compliance Leader

How to Build a New Hire Safety Orientation That Actually Sticks

14 Aug 2026 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:58

In this instructional video, Anthony LaFazia explains that the first week of employment is the most hazardous period for new hires, who suffer injuries at a significantly higher rate than seasoned workers. He argues that this risk is highly preventable through a well‑designed safety orientation that extends beyond a single day. LaFazia outlines five concrete actions: (1) prepare before day 1 by sizing PPE, setting up workspaces, and assigning responsibility; (2) deliver site‑ and job‑specific hazard tours instead of generic policy binders; (3) verify comprehension through hands‑on demonstrations and sign‑offs; (4) pair each new hire with a dedicated buddy/mentor to model safe behavior; and (5) conduct regular check‑ins throughout the first 30 days to catch and correct unsafe habits early. He concludes with a call‑to‑action to download a free New Hire Safety Onboarding Checklist that maps activities from day 1 through day 30, reinforcing the goal that every employee returns home safely.

Chapters

Here's an uncomfortable truth: the most dangerous time to be your employee is week 1. New workers are injured at a much higher rate than experienced ones, and the risk is concentrated in those first days, when someone is learning the equipment, the processes, and the site culture all at the same time. The good news is that this is one of the most preventable risks you have. A strong safety orientation, one that actually sticks, comes down to a few things done well. Start before day 1. Have their PPE sized and ready, their workspace set up, and a plan for who's responsible for them. Nothing tells a new hire, safety is an afterthought here, faster than fumbling for a hard hat on their first morning. Make hazard orientations specific. Don't just hand over a policy binder. Walk the actual space. Show them the real hazards of their real job, where the emergency exits and shutoffs are, and what the alarms sound like. People remember what they see and do far better than what they read. Confirm understanding, don't assume it. Use sign-offs for equipment and procedures, but go a step further and have them show you. Show me how you'd lock this out beats, did you read the manual? Every time. Assign a buddy. New workers naturally copy the people around them, including the unsafe shortcuts tenured workers have picked up. A designated mentor gives them a safe person to ask and someone keeping an eye out during that risky first stretch. And keep checking in. Safety orientation isn't a day-one event. It's a 30-day process. Short check-ins through the first month catch confusion and bad habits while they're still easy to fix. Do those 5 things, and safety stops being a stack of forms. It becomes something your new hires actually carry onto the floor. Download our free New Hire Safety Onboarding Checklist using the link in the description. It maps out day 1 through day 30, so nothing important gets missed. Because the goal never changes. Everybody goes home safe.