Tony

I work to a mnemonic SCRAM!
Simple - keep the message as simple as possible. People are then more likely to remember it.
Comprehensible - message needs to be one they can understand. You may need different messages for different groups
Relevant - the message must address the situations they will be confronted with. I have sat through many inductions that contain a great deal of information about aspects of the site that will never concern me. What a turn off!
Acceptable - monitor to ensure that those being inducted really do get the message.
Maintainable - workplaces are dynamic. I have sat through induction videos that were no longer applicable to what was happening on that site. This is why I tend towards either personal presentation (the best results) or something such as a Powerpoint presentation (automatic with recorded commentary that I can do myself) as opposed to a video that tends to be static.

Chris

Induction isn't just what happens at the beginning of day1, there are loads of things a new employee needs to be aware of, and most of these should come from their immediate supervisor, or perhaps an experienced collegue who is appointed as 'buddy' - and of course they can't all be covered in a single session.

Supervisors should have a template checklist which they can adapt for the particular position the individual is new to. One fundamental area is to have a copy of the generic risk assessment(s) that apply and to use this/these during the induction process to make sure the newcomer understands the hazards to which they may be exposed, the effects of exposure and the key controls that should be in place to ensure risks are ALARP.

In a major hazards environment such as you describe, another key part of the induction is to show how the Elements in the Corporate HSE-MS are 'cascaded' through the organisation, resulting in some specific responsibilities for the person in their new position. Some of these responsibilities will be for their own H&S, but others may be for key controls that affect others, or the environment - and they need to understand both.

If the position has any HSE-critical required competencies, the process for deveoping and assessing these needs to be explained, together with the likely timescale before the person will be assessed as fully competent.

At some point during the induction, the individual should be introduced to the local Safety Case/Report, especially any parts of it that are directly relevant to their role.

I realise this is probably more than you were expecting, but I suggest it's all important if the new person is to fully understand and contribute to the organisation and its HSE culture.