Toolbox safety meetings

Toolbox safety meetings have become common on construction sites, with employees huddled around the gang box on Monday mornings. At these meetings, they are often given a handout on a topic that will be discussed and review the work that will be performed for the week. Unfortunately, many of these meetings fall short of their intended goal—especially when employees tune out and miss critical information.

Toolbox safety meetings play an important role in building a culture of safety in the company and on the job. Safety is an important skill that must be learned, much like the other skills of the trade.

Below are some tips to keep employees engaged in your toolbox talks.

• Recognize safe work practices that have been observed to start the toolbox talk and set a positive atmosphere.
• Keep meetings short—I recommend 15 to 20 minutes. This will help employees retain valuable safety information.
• Present information relevant to the current work being performed.
• Stay passionate as a presenter, knowing you are working to prevent injuries and death. Your audience will connect with that energy.
• Be creative in different active-learning methods to improve memory, comprehension, interest, engagement, and application of knowledge.
• Involve employees in the meeting and consider hands-on training, such as how to properly use PPE or perform a safety task. Visual demonstrations of tools or equipment can bring greater understanding.
• Engage the audience by asking about their related experience. Ask open-ended questions, such as “How would you solve this problem?” or “What questions do you have about this?” Avoid questions that can be answered with yes or no.
• Give examples of real job-site stories related to the work being performed. This can be a great reality check and bring the point home.
• Include a variety of case studies and statistics when possible to reaffirm the importance of these meetings.
• Stay on schedule and move through the presentation at a steady pace to get through the planned material.
• Conclude the meeting by summarizing key points, stating the goal, and giving positive encouragement.

For additional safety orientation tips, visit www.osha.gov.