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Companies in Pennsylvania should take steps to ensure they are compliant with all Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations and that new hires get adequate safety training. At companies that have a lot of turnover, the latter may be neglected in some cases.

OSHA requires businesses of all sizes to provide a safe working environment for employees. This can be particularly important for new hires. OSHA reports that around 12% of workplace injuries happen on an employee’s first day, and 40% of injured workers have been on the job for a year or less. Compared to experienced workers, new workers have a likelihood of injury that is five times higher.

Safety training is not something that can be done once and then forgotten. In addition to being conducted for new hires, it should also happen when an employee starts a different job. New processes, discovering a new hazard and working with new equipment and substances should also require safety training. Safety awareness can be kept high by also having regular general safety sessions and quick meetings in which hazards and accidents are discussed. Temporary workers should also be fully trained.

Among the topics that should be covered are both OSHA and company rules and policies along with emergency procedures. Employees should also be taught proper reporting for injuries and illnesses.

Some companies may not safety train adequately or provide accurate information on workers’ compensation in case of an accident or injury. Workers’ compensation can be critical in supporting workers and their families when a work-related accident or illness occurs. A worker who is injured or becomes ill on the job might want to contact an attorney to discuss their rights. An attorney may also help in completing the paperwork for workers’ compensation and with any necessary appeals.

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