The High Rate of Accidents Among New Hires

Reducing First-Year Injuries in Fast-Paced Environments

• By Brian Jones
• Sep 08, 2025

In industries like warehousing, logistics and construction, new employees face a disproportionately high risk of injury, particularly during their first year on the job. These high-risk sectors are physically demanding, fast-paced and often unpredictable. The presence of heavy machinery such as forklifts, compact loaders or haulers only heightens the danger. When paired with an influx of inexperienced workers, the risks can escalate quickly. 

New Hires, Higher Risk 

A 2024 OSHA report revealed that 36 percent of all workplace injury and illness cases involved employees who had been on the job for a year or less. A 2025 Travelers analysis echoed those results. After analyzing millions of workers compensation claims, the company reported that first-year employees accounted for more than one-third (36 percent) of all claims. 

In construction alone, the data is even more striking: 47 percent of injuries happened to workers in their first year, which led to 51 percent of total workers’ compensation costs for the industry. Why? A mix of limited experience, insufficient training, language barriers and unfamiliarity with safety protocols can all increase exposure to hazards on the jobsite. 

Why New Workers Keep Coming 

The demand for workers in high-risk industries isn’t slowing down. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, 69 percent of firms expect to increase headcount, but 55 percent say hiring will become even more difficult, largely due to an insufficient supply of qualified workers. 

• An aging workforce – Retirements are leaving critical gaps in experience, especially in warehousing and transportation. 

• Growing demand – The rise in e-commerce has placed added pressure on warehouses and fulfillment centers, increasing both hiring and injury rates. 

• Reshoring incentives – Government policies promoting domestic manufacturing are creating more jobs but not necessarily supplying trained personnel. 

• High turnover and seasonal peaks – Many industrial roles see frequent new hires, heightening the exposure to preventable accidents. 

The High Cost of Inexperience

Beyond the human toll, workplace accidents are expensive. According to the National Safety Council, the average cost of a fatal workplace injury is $1.39 million, and a “struck by” incident, common in warehouse and construction settings, averages $40,104 per medical claim. Reducing these incidents is not only a moral imperative but a financial one. 

Closing the Safety Gap: Practical Strategies 

Preventing injuries among new hires requires a proactive, multi-layered approach that blends better onboarding, targeted training and integrating modern safety technologies. Here are several proven strategies to help high-risk workplaces reduce incident rates and protect their workforce: 

1. Improve and extend onboarding programs. Too often, orientation is rushed or reduced to paperwork and videos. Instead, companies should develop immersive onboarding that combines: 

• Hands-on demonstrations with actual equipment 

• Job shadowing with experienced mentors 

• Regular safety check-ins during the first 90 days 

• Incremental exposure to more hazardous tasks 

These elements give new hires time to absorb information and build confidence in real-world conditions. 

2. Make safety culturally visible. Create a workplace where safety is modeled from the top down. That includes: 

• Supervisors leading daily toolbox talks or safety huddles 

• Posting incident statistics and safety reminders 

• Recognizing workers who demonstrate safe practices 

When new employees see safety taken seriously by leadership and peers, they are more likely to follow suit. 

3. Simplify and translate key safety information. Language and literacy barriers can lead to misunderstandings. Provide multilingual training materials, visual cues and simplified safety signage. Use symbols and color coding to indicate high-risk zones and restricted areas. 

4. Schedule for safety. Avoid placing new hires on the most hazardous shifts or in understaffed conditions. Limit overtime for rookies and rotate tasks to prevent fatigue. High-risk job assignments should only be given after competency has been demonstrated. Strategic planning can help reduce accident risk. 

5. Use AI-powered collision avoidance systems. Technology is playing a growing role in injury prevention. AI-based collision avoidance systems are now being used in warehouses, construction sites and manufacturing plants to detect and prevent accidents in real time. These systems use Visual AI technology, machine learning and advanced sensors to: 

• Identify people and machinery in blind spots  

• Alert operators and pedestrians of potential collisions 

• Create programmable detection zones that adapt to equipment speed and movement 

• Deliver multi-sensory warning alarms 

Implementing AI-driven detection helps protect new workers, especially those unfamiliar with the layout, blind spots or equipment movement patterns. In fast-moving environments where seconds matter, real-time alerts can be the difference between a near miss and a life-altering injury. 

6. Establish peer safety mentoring. Pair new hires with experienced safety mentors for the first several weeks. These mentors can offer informal tips, monitor behavior and act as a resource for safety questions that may not surface in formal training. 

7. Audit near misses and lead indicators.Don’t wait for an incident to act. Encourage workers to report near misses and minor hazards. Analyze trends using data points, which are available through advanced collision avoidance technology, especially among newer employees. Addressing these early warnings can prevent more serious incidents down the line and indicate which employees need additional training. 

Every new hire represents both growth potential and vulnerability. In high-risk environments, the first few months on the job are critical to long-term safety outcomes. By combining effective onboarding, smart scheduling, strong mentorship and advanced technologies like AI collision avoidance systems, organizations can dramatically reduce injury rates and foster a culture where safety isn’t just a rule, it’s a shared responsibility. 

This article originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.