Your First Day on the Jobsite

New workers get hurt at much higher rates than experienced workers, especially in their first month. Showing up prepared and asking the right questions is the best way to beat those odds.

• Construction
• General Industry

What to bring

• Work boots in good condition (safety-toe if required by your employer; ask ahead)
• Long pants and a shirt with sleeves; no loose or torn clothing
• Hard hat, safety glasses, hi-vis vest and gloves, unless your employer says they provide them
• Photo ID, and any training cards you have (OSHA 10, forklift card, first aid/CPR card)
• Water bottle, lunch, and weather gear (rain gear, warm layers, sun protection)
• Basic hand tools, only if your employer told you to bring them
• A small notebook and pen

What to expect

• Site orientation: most sites require a safety orientation before you start work. You may watch a video, sign in, and get a sticker for your hard hat.
• Paperwork: tax forms, emergency contact, and possibly a drug test.
• A pre-task or toolbox meeting: the crew talks through the day’s work and hazards. See Toolbox Talks.
• Being paired with an experienced worker: watch, learn and ask questions.

Questions to ask on day one

1. Who is my supervisor, and who is the site’s safety person or competent person?
2. What are the biggest hazards on this site right now?
3. What PPE do I need for this job, and where do I get replacements?
4. Where are the first aid kit, fire extinguishers, eyewash station and AED?
5. What is the emergency plan? Where is the muster (meeting) point? What is the site address for 911?
6. Where are the restrooms and drinking water?
7. How do I report an injury, a near miss, or a hazard?
8. Which tools or equipment am I not allowed to use until I’m trained?

Rules to live by from day one

• If you haven’t been trained on a tool or machine, don’t use it. Ask.
• If something looks unsafe, stop and tell your supervisor. You have the right to do this. See Stop-Work Authority.
• Keep your PPE on in posted areas, even for “just a minute.”
• Watch for moving equipment and make eye contact with operators before walking near them.
• Report every injury, even small ones, the same day.
• Drink water and take your breaks.

• Don’t take shortcuts because others do.
• Don’t remove guards, bypass safety devices or walk under suspended loads.
• Don’t use your phone while walking through active work areas.

Warning signs of an unsafe site

You won’t know every rule on day one, but some problems are easy to spot. If you see these, ask about them:

• People working near open edges, roofs or floor holes with no guardrails, covers or harnesses.
• Trenches deeper than about 5 feet with straight walls and no shoring, trench box or sloping.
• Ladders that are broken, too short, not tied off, or set up on loose ground.
• Extension cords with cut insulation or missing ground prongs, or tools plugged in without GFCI protection.
• Nobody wearing PPE, or nobody able to tell you who’s in charge of safety.
• Equipment backing up with no spotter or backup alarm, and no clear walkways for people on foot.
• Being told to “just figure it out” on a machine or task you’ve never done.

See The Focus Four for the hazards that cause most construction deaths.

Your first week

• Learn the names of your crew lead, the site superintendent and the safety contact.
• Walk the site with someone experienced and learn the routes, the exits and the muster point.
• Find out where the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are kept. See Safety Data Sheets.
• Ask for training before you use any new tool, ladder, lift or machine, and write down what you were trained on and when.
• Break in your boots and check that your PPE fits. Ask for a different size if it doesn’t. See PPE Fit.
• Find out how hours are tracked and when payday is. Keep your own record of the hours you work. See Hours Worked.
• Pay attention to how your body feels. Soreness is normal, but sharp pain, dizziness or numbness isn’t. Report it.

If you get hurt

1. Get first aid or call 911 for anything serious. Don’t let anyone talk you out of medical care.
2. Tell your supervisor the same day, even if it seems minor. Many states have short deadlines for reporting a work injury.
3. Write down what happened, when, where and who saw it.
4. Ask about workers’ compensation. It generally pays medical bills and part of lost wages for work injuries, regardless of who was at fault. See Workers’ Compensation.

Your employer can’t legally punish you for reporting an injury. See Reporting Incidents and Your Rights as a Worker.

If you’re under 18

Federal and state child labor laws ban teens from many construction and industrial tasks, such as roofing, operating forklifts and most power-driven equipment, and working in trenches. They also limit hours for workers under 16. See Young & Teen Workers.

Last updated: October 1, 2026