How to Onboard and Train Employees into a Safety Culture

From the first day a new employee shows up for work, and throughout their career at an organization, an onboarding safety training program can help to turn them into an active and engaged part of a company’s safety culture.

Incorporating foundational workplace safety training into the onboarding process is not only an ethical responsibility but also a strategic investment that can help reduce injuries and workers compensation costs. Training on safety from the start embeds safety as a core organizational value and helps create a safer work environment with fewer injuries, less lost work time and lower workers compensation costs.¹

Why effective onboarding matters

On day one, a new employee starts making mental notes of safety practices and procedures and forming an impression about the value their organization places on safety. A strong onboarding safety training program ensures that a new employee quickly acquires the awareness and practical skills needed to spot hazards, prevent incidents and respond to emergencies.

This is important because more than 1 in 3 (36%) workplace injuries happen within the first year, and that percentage is growing, according to the 2025 Travelers Injury Impact Report. First-year injuries cause over 5 million missed workdays per year and account for 34% of claim costs.²

A strong onboarding safety training program can help companies set the tone and manage the risks of injuries to first-year employees. Ongoing workplace health and safety training reinforces safe practices as employees change roles or return to work after an injury. Employers that invest in workplace safety and health programs can expect reductions in fatalities, injuries and illnesses, which in turn can contribute to cost savings and improved productivity.³

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Integrate safety culture from day one.

Robust onboarding safety training embeds safety into the organizational DNA as part of every employee’s “day one” experience. This helps to integrate safety not simply as checking a box on a checklist but as a core company value, an essential part of creating a safety culture at work. In organizations that prioritize safety, employees are more likely to be mindful of their own safety and that of their peers. This mindset can support fewer accidents and better adherence to protocols.

Onboarding safety training includes two key elements: worker safety awareness, as well as practical information and skills. A good general safety onboarding program should introduce facility layout, emergency response, PPE use, incident reporting procedures, mentorship and safety accountability. It’s also important to seek out and integrate industry-specific information, such as safety tips for new oil and gas workers and safety onboarding for construction workers. Today, organizations also must address the unique challenges of home office work, as workers compensation claims have increased by 24%-54% among remote workers, mostly due to musculoskeletal injuries and mental health.⁴

Key components of an onboarding safety program

Workplace safety training programs work best when they begin with onboarding of new employees and include key safety training beginning on the first day of work. Consider the five essential elements of a safety onboarding program.⁵

1. Safety orientation – Introduces the company’s safety culture, goals and expectations, and reviews the written company safety policy.
   
   
2. Hazard recognition – Provides a facility tour and introduces hazard recognition and reporting. Go over the evacuation plan, location of emergency exits and emergency contact information.
   
   
3. Personal protective equipment (PPE) training – Demonstrates the types of PPE required on the job, the proper use of PPE and where employees can obtain the necessary items.
   
   
4. Reporting protocols – Reviews the company policy and response procedures for accidents and injuries. Demonstrates first-aid essentials and outlines the necessary steps to report an incident.
   
   
5. Job-specific training and mentorship – Offers job-specific safety training and assigns a mentor who can answer questions and help to integrate the new employee into the workplace safety culture.

For remote workers, it’s also important to provide remote work safety training and support. This can include ergonomic training, home office hazard identification and mental health support to mitigate remote work risks and reduce the likelihood of workers compensation claims.

On-the-job safety training

Training is a key part of creating a strong safety culture in the workplace. Both onboarding safety training and ongoing on-the-job safety training involve two main types of training to teach and reinforce safety practices.⁶

• Skills-based safety training – This hands-on, procedural training teaches specific skills an employee needs to be able to work safely, prevent accidents and contribute to the overall safety culture in the workplace. This type of training may include job-specific safety skills, technology skills required to use incident/injury reporting systems and information on incident investigation.
• Awareness-based safety training – This behavioral training helps workers learn to think about safety and integrate it as they perform their jobs. This may involve training on recognizing and addressing hazards in the workplace to prevent incidents and injuries. It’s meant to instill a general awareness of, and positive attitudes toward, safety in the workplace.

Incorporating both types of training into a workplace health and safety training offers benefits to both employee safety and workers compensation risk management.

How Travelers approaches safety culture and training

Expert guidance can be invaluable when it comes to creating an employee safety program bolstered by strong workplace safety training. Travelers Risk Control Services’ workplace safety education and training employs a unique approach that blends coaching, learning and practice. This Travelers program includes on-site surveys, virtual training and continuous engagement with employees to help sustain safe work practices and reduce workers compensation claims.

Create a culture of workplace safety success. 

Workplace safety programs are a core part of a strong safety culture. Take advantage of structured onboarding and ongoing training that strengthens work safety cultures and reduces workers compensation risk.

To learn how Travelers Risk Control can help organizations onboard and train employees effectively to improve workplace safety and reduce workers compensation exposure, connect with your Travelers representative.

Sources

¹https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092575352300351X
²https://www.travelers.com/resources/business-topics/workplace-safety/injury-impact-report
³https://www.osha.gov/businesscase/benefits
⁴https://www.enlyte.com/insights/article/compliance/great-workplace-shakeup-adapting-workers-comp-remote-revolution
⁵https://blr.com/resources/onboarding-new-employees-safety-training-checklist/
⁶https://www.osha.gov/safety-management/education-training