Young Workers Are Not the Problem — Weak Systems Are
When a young or new worker gets injured on the job, the conversation often sounds predictable.
“They weren’t paying attention.”
“They lacked common sense.”
“They should have spoken up.”
“They needed to ask more questions.”
But after years of working in occupational health and safety across multiple industries, I can confidently say this:
Young workers are rarely the root problem.
Weak systems are.
At the BC Forest Safety Council Interior Safety Conference, Darcy Kulai and I presented on the idea that workplace incidents rarely begin at the machine.
They begin in the system.
That message resonated strongly because many organizations still focus too heavily on worker behaviour while overlooking the organizational gaps that create risk in the first place.
Young Workers Face Higher Risk
Young and new workers consistently experience disproportionately high injury rates.
This is not because young workers are careless.
It is because they are often navigating:
Unfamiliar environments
New equipment
New terminology
Production pressure
Workplace culture
Fear of looking inexperienced
Pressure to fit in quickly
At the same time, many organizations unintentionally expect these workers to absorb massive amounts of information in very short periods of time.
The result is often information overload combined with performance pressure.
That combination creates risk.
The “Common Sense” Problem
One of the most dangerous phrases in workplace safety is:
“They should have known better.”
The reality is that what feels like “common sense” to an experienced worker is often learned experience.
New workers do not yet have:
Hazard recognition skills
Industry familiarity
Task repetition
Exposure history
Situational awareness built through years of work
Expecting inexperienced workers to operate with experienced judgment is not realistic.
Strong organizations understand this and build systems that compensate for inexperience instead of punishing it.
Most Incidents Begin Long Before the Injury
Many organizations focus heavily on the moment an incident occurs.
But serious workplace incidents often begin much earlier.
During our presentation, we discussed several common failures that frequently exist before incidents happen:
Weak role clarity
Poor hazard identification
Inadequate supervision
Lack of competency verification
These are organizational controls.
And when those controls fail, workers — especially young workers — become vulnerable.
A worker may technically complete orientation and training while still lacking:
Confidence
Understanding
Real-world application skills
Comfort asking questions
Awareness of operational hazards
This is why paperwork alone cannot be relied upon as proof of competency.
Documentation Does Not Equal Competency
Many organizations unintentionally create a false sense of security through documentation.
A worker signs orientation paperwork.
Completes online modules.
Passes quizzes.
Receives PPE.
On paper, everything appears compliant.
But attendance does not mean understanding.
And understanding does not mean proficiency.
Real competency requires:
Observation
Reinforcement
Coaching
Supervision
Ongoing discussions
Practical application
This becomes especially important during the first:
Week
30 days
90 days
These periods are often where workers are most vulnerable.
Supervisors Shape the Safety Experience
One of the most important influences on young worker safety is frontline supervision.
Supervisors directly shape:
Worker confidence
Communication culture
Hazard awareness
Comfort speaking up
Safe work habits
A strong supervisor understands that new workers may:
Pretend to understand instructions
Avoid asking questions
Say “yes” when uncertain
Take risks to avoid appearing inexperienced
That is why supervisor engagement matters so much.
Strong supervisors create environments where workers feel safe admitting uncertainty.
Weak supervisors unintentionally create silence.
And silence creates risk.
Safety Culture Is Built During the First 90 Days
Many organizations underestimate how quickly new workers absorb workplace culture.
Workers learn very quickly:
What behaviours are tolerated
Whether production outweighs safety
Whether supervisors reinforce procedures
Whether concerns are welcomed or ignored
Whether shortcuts are normalized
Young workers are often highly influenced by what they observe from experienced workers.
That means organizations cannot simply train safety.
They must model it consistently.
Safety culture is not built through posters or policies alone.
It is built through leadership behaviours, reinforcement, and accountability.
“We Don’t Have Time” Is Often the Wrong Conversation
One of the most common objections organizations raise when discussing stronger onboarding systems is:
“We don’t have time for that.”
But considering the amount of turnover many industries are currently facing, the better question might be:
“Can you afford not to?”
Think about the difference between two companies.
One company provides:
A one-day orientation
Minimal follow-up
Limited supervision
Little reinforcement
No structured competency check-ins
The other company provides:
Progressive onboarding
Supervisor check-ins
Reinforcement over 30 to 90 days
Ongoing coaching
Clear accountability systems
Structured competency development
Which workplace do you think workers are more likely to speak positively about?
Which workplace do you think workers are more likely to stay with?
Strong onboarding systems rarely exist in isolation.
Organizations that invest in proper onboarding and competency verification often also have:
Stronger leadership accountability
Better communication systems
More effective supervision
More mature health and safety management systems
Better operational consistency
Fewer shortcuts becoming normalized
Less disciplinary action
Better worker engagement
In most cases, it creates a better overall work environment.
And that matters because turnover is expensive.
Depending on the industry and role, replacing a worker can easily cost between $10,000 and $20,000 once you factor in:
Hiring costs
Orientation time
Reduced productivity
Training time
Supervisor involvement
Administrative burden
Increased operational disruption
So the real question becomes:
How much time and money could organizations save if they retained workers at a higher rate than their competitors?
Sometimes the organizations that appear to “save time” by rushing onboarding are actually creating larger long-term operational costs.
Strong Systems Protect Workers
The strongest organizations understand that new and young worker safety requires layered protection.
That protection includes:
Clear role expectations
Effective orientation
Competency verification
Progressive task exposure
Supervisor reinforcement
Ongoing coaching
Psychological safety
Open communication
Strong systems recognize that inexperienced workers need support — not assumptions.
Because when organizations rely too heavily on “common sense,” they often fail the very workers who need support the most.
This Is Not About Lowering Standards
Supporting young workers does not mean lowering expectations.
It means building systems that help workers safely develop competency over time.
The goal should never be to make work easier.
The goal should be to make work safer while workers gain experience, confidence, and understanding.
Strong organizations recognize that competency is developed progressively through:
Coaching
Reinforcement
Observation
Supervision
Real-world exposure
Feedback
Not simply through paperwork and sign-offs.
Final Thoughts
Young workers are not the problem.
In many cases, they are highly motivated, eager to learn, and willing to work hard.
The real issue is whether the system around them is designed to support safe development.
Organizations need to stop asking:
“How do we make young workers tougher?”
And start asking:
“How do we build systems that better protect them?”
Because incidents rarely begin at the machine.
They begin in the system.
And if a worker like Darcy was hired tomorrow, would your system truly protect him?
About GreenSpine Safety Solutions
GreenSpine Safety Solutions supports organizations across British Columbia through:
If your organization is reviewing its orientation, onboarding, or competency verification process, GreenSpine Safety Solutions can help build practical systems aligned with operational realities, WorkSafeBC expectations, and long-term workforce readiness.
