Are you looking for ideas for Toolbox Talk Topics? Toolbox Talks are important because workers need to be trained to recognize and avoid unsafe working conditions.
A Toolbox Talk is a casual team safety meeting that can be held anytime, anywhere, with any team or crew to discuss a specific safety hazard and safe work practices. They are typically led by the crew foreman or supervisor, but anyone from the crew can lead, including the company owner. Although the idea behind toolbox talks started with the construction trade, all companies should be having Toolbox Talks but maybe they are called Safety Time-Outs, Safety Meetings or Safety Moments.
The Toolbox Talks app is a phenomenal resource created by the Washington Construction Center of Excellence (COE) that provides safety instruction in English and Spanish. These are quick discussions on specific topics created between 2016 and 2020. Over 100 Talks are available online at Construction Safety — Construction Center of Excellence or via the downloadable FREE app from the Apple App store and Google Play.
You may ask “What’s the big deal?” Well, these Talks are created specifically for oral presentation and discussion. They are broken out with relevant topical bullets that are laid out in orderly and logical fashion for presenters and attendees alike. In addition, pertinent questions for discussion and tips for presenters are prominently displayed for ease of use. Many topics have links to associated Labor & Industries (L&I) or Washington Administrative Code (WAC) web resources. Additional Toolbox Talk (safety meeting) ideas can be found on L&I’s Toolbox Talks webpage.
For example, here are three topics that are available in English and Spanish on the Toolbox Talks webpage and app by the COE:
Air Tools
Demolition Safety
Hearing Protection
The downloadable app allows the presenter to pull up the talk on a smartphone and present a safety briefing in a remote location away from the office as needed. The app also allows documentation of the safety briefing with a signature capture form and can generate meeting details by email or PDF.
Do you need an agenda item for your monthly Safety Committee meeting? Do you need to support your Accident Prevention Program? Maybe you can pull up a relevant Toolbox Talk.
Be assured, these talks are legitimate and the content is appropriate. Funding and support for the project has been provided by L&I, the State of Washington, and the Safety and Health Investments Projects (SHIP) grants.
Do you have questions about safety, or anything else L&I related? PIM Savvy is ready to help you with these and other topics individually over the phone, via online meetings, or in person at one of our virtual workshops. We have safety and labor expertise to share with you and we can connect you with L&I. Call or text our workplace safety info line at 206-565-2961. Not only that, in partnership with L&I, these services are FREE to you!
Cheers!
PIM Savvy Inc.
