Double Down on First-Year Training to Reduce Injuries

Travelers Insurance recently released a report, based on analysis of five years of data, showing that over a third of workplace injuries occur in the first year on the job.

The study suggests a profound need for more extensive training in the first year of employment across all industries but even more so in the construction industry.

Study Results

• Injuries in the first year on the job accounted for 48 percent of claims and 52 percent of claim costs.
• The top three causes of first-year injuries were overexertion, slips/trips/falls, and being struck by an object.
• The average number of missed workdays associated with first-year injuries in construction was 98 days.
• The average cost of a workers compensation claim was more than double that of all industries combined.

While safety receives more attention today than ever before, much remains to be done. High turnover, labor shortages and pending retirements in the construction workforce guarantee a steady flow of new workers, which has the makings of a perfect storm.

Contractors must find ways to consistently and effectively provide training during the onboarding process and to reinforce those lessons weekly or even daily based on the task at hand.

New technologies provide ways to do this, and some even offer the training content.

MindForge is an IRMI sister company specializing in communications and training for field workers. Contractors can use technology such as this to provide training for new employees or to push training reinforcement to workers’ mobile phones based on the work that is taking place on the site that day. Upload your own content or use the MindForge short training modules that demonstrate safe and unsafe work practices designed to reduce the most common types of injuries.