OBJECTIVE:To study the relationship between job tenure and injury risk, controlling for individual factors and company characteristics. DESIGN:Analysis of incidence and injury risk by job tenure, controlling for gender, age, nationality, economic activity, firm size. SETTING:Sample of 7% of Italian workers registered in the INPS (National Institute of Social Insurance) database. PARTICIPANTS:Private sector employees who worked as blue collars or apprentices. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:First-time occupational injuries, all occupational injuries, serious occupational injuries. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:Our findings show an increase in injury risk among those who start a new job and an inverse relationship between job tenure and injury risk. Multivariate analysis confirm these results. Recommendations for improving this situation include the adoption of organizational models that provide periods of mentoring from colleagues already in the company and the assignment to simple and not much hazardous tasks. The economic crisis may exacerbate this problem: it is important for Italy to improve the systems of monitoring relations between temporary employment and health.