106 Toolbox Talks SafetyTalkIdeas.com Innovative Safety Products LLC 106 Toolbox Talks Innovative Safety Products, LLC The content of this e-book is for educational purposes only and such content is not intended to provide comprehensive coverage of all safety issues on the mentioned subjects and does not create any liability on part of Innovative Safety Products, LLC. By using this material, you agree that Innovative Safety Products, LLC is not be responsible for any damages resulting from reliance upon the information and material provided in this e-book. Copyright © 2017 Innovative Safety Products, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Innovative Safety Products, LLC, except noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to: [email protected] Table of Contents Eating Habits ................................................. 41 Toolbox Talk Sign in Sheet ........................... 1 Electrical Injuries ........................................... 43 Ten Tips to Give a Better Toolbox Talk ........ 2 Electrical Safety ............................................. 45 Tips for Using These Talks ........................... 4 Elimination of Hazards .................................. 47 Toolbox Talks Embracing Change ........................................ 49 Allergies ........................................................ 5 Energy Drink Dangers ................................... 51 Amputations ................................................. 7 Eye Injuries and Prevention .......................... 53 Annual Checkup ........................................... 9 Fatigue .......................................................... 54 Attitude ........................................................ 11 Fire Safety at Home ...................................... 56 Attitude Versus Ability* ................................ 13 Fixed Open Blade Knives ............................... 57 Back Injuries and Prevention ....................... 14 Ground Personnel and Heavy Equipment* .. 59 Being Observant ........................................... 16 Habits and Safety .......................................... 61 Choices at Home and Safety on the Job ....... 17 Hand Injury and Injury Prevention ................ 63 Clothing ........................................................ 18 Hand Tool Inspections .................................. 65 Communication Tools .................................. 20 Health is Everything ...................................... 67 Cost of Drugs on the Job .............................. 22 Heart Attacks ................................................ 69 Defensive Driving ......................................... 24 Heat Stress .................................................... 71 Diet ............................................................... 25 Heavy Equipment .......................................... 73 Distracted Driving (Cellphone Use) .............. 26 Heavy Equipment Operation ........................ 75 Distractions* ................................................ 27 Helping Out ................................................... 77 Does Safety Really Take Extra Time?* ......... 29 Hierarchy of Controls .................................... 79 Dropped Objects .......................................... 31 Horseplay ...................................................... 80 Drowsy Driving ............................................. 32 Housekeeping (Construction) ....................... 81 Drug Abuse ................................................... 34 How Observant Are You? .............................. 82 Drunk Driving ............................................... 36 How We Represent Our Company ................ 84 Dump Truck Operation ................................. 37 Human Performance ..................................... 85 Dust (Construction) ...................................... 39 Importance of Communication ..................... 87 Importance of Mentoring ............................. 89 Importance of Reporting All Injuries ........... 91 Shift Work Dangers ..................................... 133 Insect Sting Allergies ................................... 93 Shortcuts ..................................................... 135 Involve the Right Person ............................. 95 Sleep ........................................................... 137 It Won’t Happen to Me ............................... 96 Slips ............................................................. 138 Ladder Safety .............................................. 97 Slips, Trips, Falls .......................................... 139 Lifting and Rigging ....................................... 99 SORT Tool .................................................... 140 Manual Handling .......................................... 101 Spotter Safety ............................................. 141 Mechanical Issue-related Crashes .............. 103 Stopping Work ............................................ 142 Medications* ............................................... 105 Struck-by Incidents (Construction) ............. 144 Motor Vehicle Safety (Loose Cargo) ........... 106 Surveying (Construction) ............................ 146 Motor Vehicle Safety .................................. 107 Take the Choice out of Safety* ................... 148 Muddy Work Areas ..................................... 108 Taking Ownership ....................................... 150 New Employees ........................................... 109 Taking Safety For Granted .......................... 151 New Equipment .......................................... 111 Taking Safety Home .................................... 153 Non-routine Tasks* ..................................... 113 Task Planning .............................................. 154 Not My Problem .......................................... 115 The Ripple Effect of an Incident .................. 156 Office Safety ................................................ 116 Theft from a Construction Site ................... 158 Our Reactions to Our World ....................... 117 Multiple Safeguards to Prevent Injuries* ... 159 Pinch Points and Hand Injuries ................... 119 Vehicle Inspections ..................................... 161 Poison Ivy .................................................... 120 Verbal Communication ............................... 163 Pressure Washing ........................................ 121 Weakest Link ............................................... 165 Proactive Versus Reactive ........................... 123 What We Represent* .................................. 166 Ready for Work ........................................... 125 Wildlife in the Workplace ........................... 168 Safety Can Be Redundant ............................ 126 Wind Dangers (Construction) ..................... 170 Safety Related Paperwork ........................... 127 Winter Weather Driving ............................. 172 Seatbelts ...................................................... 128 Work Area Best Practices ............................ 173 Securing a Construction Site ....................... 129 Workplace Inspections ............................... 175 Self-awareness and Safety* ........................ 131 Workplace Violence .................................... 177 Safety Meeting Sign-in Sheet Date: Speaker(s): Topic: Companies: Additional Comments: Participant Name Participant Signature Ten Tips to Give a Better Toolbox Talk Whether or not you are a safety professional you may find yourself tasked with giving a toolbox talk on a frequent basis. For some individuals it is the fear of public speaking that impedes their ability to present a toolbox talk to the best of their ability. For other individuals it is often finding a good topic that creates stress in preparing for a toolbox talk. Use the topics found in this book along with these ten tips to present a better toolbox talk. 1. Prepare ahead of time. Know when you have to give a talk and plan for it. Do not go into work the morning you have to present a toolbox talk and scramble to prepare for it. Find a topic well ahead of time and read over it. Think about how you can personalize it for your work or jobsite. The audience can tell when a presenter is not prepared. 2. Find a relevant topic. There is nothing worse than sitting through a toolbox talk that has nothing to do with the work that is being performed. Toolbox talks serve the purpose of communicating some type of safety message and if it is not relevant to the audience then you just wasted precious time. Toolbox talks should not be viewed as a go-through-the-motions activity. They have been proven to have a positive effect on a company’s safety culture. 3. Know your audience. How you prepare for a toolbox talk to executive level individuals will differ from how you prepare for a daily toolbox talk for your field workers. Use language that your audience understands. Do not try to flaunt intricate words while giving a talk to your field workers if they do not normally use that level of vocabulary for example. Talk with them on their level. It is not a knock on them or their education level in any way. It is just something to be aware of when presenting. Many workers speak English as a second language