Mentoring in Construction Mentoring in Construction
How construction companies can use mentoring to keep new workers safe and grow supervisors.
What this presentation covers
What this presentation covers
What this presentation covers
Fatal accidents by sector
Construction has the most fatal accidents
Close to a quarter of fatal work accidents in the EU in 2024 were in construction.
- Construction 23.0%23.0%
- Transport and storage 15.9%15.9%
- Manufacturing 13.8%13.8%
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing 12.1%12.1%
The first month on the job
The first month is the riskiest
New workers were over four times more likely to be injured than those past a year.
A safer start for new workers
Start new workers on lower-risk tasks
The authors advise early training, low-hazard first tasks and a close eye on exposure.
- Day one site walk with a mentor
- Week one low-hazard tasks only
- Weeks two to four daily check on new hazards
- End of month one review with the foreman
Foremen as mentors
Train foremen to mentor on site
After an 8-hour course, foremen mentored daily and held more interactive toolbox talks.
- Daily mentoring of crew members
- Toolbox talks on the day’s tasks
- More checks for fall hazards
- More use of fall protection
The crew’s role in safety
Crews shape safety, not only bosses
How coworkers respond to safety is part of a crew’s safety climate.
- New worker
- Crew
- Foreman
- Company
Who finishes an apprenticeship
Watch who drops out of apprenticeships
In US programs, women and minority apprentices finished less often than others.
- Joint employer and union programs more apprentices finish
- Women lower completion
- Ethnic and racial minorities lower completion
An older workforce
Pair older tradespeople with apprentices
Unions named mentoring and pairing with apprentices as a way to keep older workers.
The skills shortage
Construction has the most open jobs
In mid-2026, construction shared the highest job vacancy rate of any EU sector.
- Construction 2.8%2.8%
- Administrative and support 2.8%2.8%
- Accommodation and food 2.5%2.5%
- Professional and technical 2.2%2.2%
Three tracks on one site
Run three tracks, one per career stage
Each track pairs people at a different stage of a building career.
- New workers with an experienced worker, first month
- Apprentices with a senior tradesperson, until they qualify
- New foremen with a site manager, first year
Sources
The research behind this presentation
- Eurostat (2026) Accidents at work statistics Eurostat, Statistics Explained, data extracted September 2026
- Eurostat (2026) Job vacancy statistics Eurostat, Statistics Explained, data extracted September 2026
- Breslin, F. C. & Smith, P. (2006) Trial by fire: a multivariate examination of the relation between job tenure and work injuries Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 63(1), 27-32
- Kaskutas, V., Dale, A. M., Lipscomb, H. & Evanoff, B. (2013) Fall prevention and safety communication training for foremen: report of a pilot project designed to improve residential construction safety Journal of Safety Research, 44, 111-118
- Lingard, H., Cooke, T. & Blismas, N. (2011) Coworkers’ response to occupational health and safety Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 18(2), 159-175
- Bilginsoy, C. (2003) The hazards of training: Attrition and retention in construction industry apprenticeship programs ILR Review, 57(1), 54-67
- Sokas, R. K., Dong, X. S. & Cain, C. T. (2019) Building a sustainable construction workforce International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(21), 4202
Make the first month safe
Give every new worker a mentor who knows the site, from the first day.