FACTS
- Lack of Experience: New workers have limited familiarity with equipment, tasks, and hazards, increasing the chance of mistakes that lead to injuries.
- Incomplete Hazard Recognition: New hires often haven’t learned to spot warning signs—such as unstable loads, pinch points, or unsafe conditions—before danger develops.
- Task-Overload Stress: Early job pressure to perform quickly can cause new workers to rush, skip steps, or push beyond safe limits.
- Improper PPE Use: Inconsistent fitting, incorrect wearing, or lack of training on PPE reduces protection and increases exposure to hazards.
- Low Confidence to Speak Up: New workers may fear asking questions or reporting concerns, leading to silent acceptance of unsafe practices.
- Unfamiliar Work Environments: Navigating new layouts, equipment zones, or workflow patterns increases the chance of slips, trips, and operational errors.
STATS
- Young and new workers in Canada (aged 15-24) experience injury rates up to 1.5-2 times higher than older workers, with “newness” as the primary factor contributing to 20-30% of claims in high-risk sectors like construction and manufacturing (2020-2024).
- In British Columbia, young workers (15-24) accounted for 20% of all time-loss claims from 2020-2024, despite comprising only 15% of the workforce, due to elevated risks in the first year of employment.
- New workers in their first month on the job in Ontario have a 40-50% higher lost-time claim rate compared to experienced workers, a trend persisting through 2023-2025 data.
- In Canada, workers new to their jobs (all ages) report injury rates 2-3 times higher in the first year, with 25% of claims from physically demanding roles lacking adequate onboarding (2020-2023).
- Workers in their first year on the job account for over 35% of workplace injuries in the United States (U.S. workers’ comp data, 2022–2023).
- Young workers aged 15–24 experience higher injury rates than any other age group, especially during their first year of employment (NIOSH).