This article briefly discusses the following:
- the importance of performing toolbox talks before work;
- how to create a toolbox talk; and
- tool that can help in conducting and documenting toolbox talks.
Why Perform Toolbox Talks Before Commencing Work
Toolbox talks can make a great difference when conducted before employees start to work on site. These simple meetings are a vital safety measure for preventing bigger and complex risks. Managers and safety officers should invest their time and efforts in using tools or apps to administer these safety meetings regularly. Aside from assuring proper safety orientation during pre-work, here are some benefits of performing toolbox talks:
- Boost worker knowledge on hazards and risks.
- Strengthens leaders’ and workers’ sense of responsibility.
- Improves team coordination and productivity.
- Establish a good communication system within teams.
- Documents and organizes safety meetings.
- Creates a secure working space and safety culture.
How to Create a Toolbox Talk
Even though toolbox talks are short and simple meetings to perform, there are certain points that the manager or safety officer must consider to ensure a more effective toolbox talk for the workers. Here are the seven steps on how to create and write a good toolbox talk:
#1 Determine a topic of focus
Choosing a topic for toolbox talks should be based on the type of work that employees are performing every day, of course. This highlights the relevance of the job and all the related matters that should be reminded to them every now and then. Also, create a list of these toolbox topics and organize them in a calendar so that workers can follow through with the next meetings. In addition, select topics that would help refresh their knowledge of safety and quality.
#2 Conduct research
How do you know if the content that you are using is up to date and reliable? Simply get your resources to the most reliable associations and government bodies that release relevant and timely updates about safety. Examples are OSHA toolbox topics, HSE website, and more health and safety sources. Gather the most important chunks during your research and associate them with the current work that your organization has. Remember not to provide too much information that would cause information overload. Things like importance and best practices are already enough for these toolbox meetings. In addition, performing a survey to workers can also provide more insights into what they want to learn during these short meetings.
#3 Use online tools to prepare and discuss the toolbox topics
Paper-based toolbox talks can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Using digital tools and applications can help ease the preparation and actual demonstration of the toolbox topics. Doing so may also help standardize how toolbox talks are formatted. During the discussion, the toolbox talks can be sent individually so that all workers have their own copy as a guide, meaning it can be distributed to all affected and involved individuals. Remember to keep the toolbox talks short but meaty.
#4 Evaluate learnings and get feedback
Assessing the workers’ learnings can be in the form of questions or simple teach-back after the meeting. With this, leaders can gauge how deep do the workers understand the toolbox topics. Conduct a post-meeting survey to learn what the employees say about toolbox meetings. And then, from all of these insights leaders can now further improve how they can make the content simpler, clearer, and easier to digest.
#5 Keep the records of all toolbox meetings
All toolbox talk meetings must be kept in a safe place as these records serve as proof for complying with legal requirements that regulate the maintenance of health and safety training, information, and initiatives. These can be potential documents that can be used for accreditations.
Toolbox Talk Example
There are a variety of toolbox talk examples that can be discussed to workers. Learn more about these examples here. Here is a basic example of a toolbox talk specifically for people working in confined spaces.
Topic: Working in Confined Spaces
Site: Pandemonium Works, Hawkins City, Indiana
Involved Team: Harvey Scratch, Roz Spellman, Nick Morningstar, Cerberus Kinkle
Supervisor: Archie Micks
Conducted on: September 7, 2020
What is a Confined Space?
A confined space can be any area that is sufficiently large to enter and perform jobs. It is has a limited entrance and egress points and not built for any type of occupancy.
What might happen if working in confined spaces was not performed properly?
- Oxygen deficiency or asphyxiation due to the harmful environment inside the confined spaces.
- Exposure to deadly gases and other organisms.
- Loss of coordination.
- Heatstroke
- Death
Safety reminders when working in confined spaces:
- Identify all hazards present before entering the confined space.
- Conduct atmosphere tests.
- Install proper ventilation systems.
- Fortify communication amongst co-workers.
- Ensure that personal protective equipment is in good condition.
Signatures: (assuming all people involved have confirmed and signed)
iAuditor as a Toolbox Talk App
iAuditor is the world’s #1 inspection app. Streamline and automate your toolbox talks with paperless documentation using your smartphone or tablet. Take advantage of iAuditor by utilizing the following features below:
- Look up reference information
Use iAuditor as a visual aid or training guide by adding relevant information while inspecting. You can look up references in plain text, image, or external link format. - Easily document toolbox meetings
Record the takeaways, concerns, corrective actions, and recommendations from your toolbox talk meeting using iAuditor. Records are automatically saved in the cloud. - Take or Attach Photos
Take pictures, annotate, and attach them to your template for a more comprehensive report. - Capture digital signatures
Sign off your toolbox talk documentation by capturing digital signatures. These include time and date stamps to provide accountability and confirmation on the information recorded.
To help you get started we have compiled 15 of the best toolbox talk templates you can download and customize for free.
Featured Toolbox Talk Templates
Toolbox Meeting Template
This toolbox meeting template is used in toolbox talks as a guide for preparing and delivering topics effectively. This toolbox talk form covers preparatory questions to ensure that helpful sources and materials were reviewed for the distribution of up-to-date information. List down concerns raised by the team for further verification and safety planning.
Construction Toolbox Talk Template
This construction toolbox talk template is used during a walkthrough of a construction site. It helps ensure the safety of your workers from the fatal four hazards. This toolbox talk form covers the causes of falls, electrocution, struck by objects, and caught between objects and proposes tips on how to prevent such incidents. Managers or any person responsible can also provide their recommendations to improve workers’ safety.
OSHA Toolbox Talk: Portable Ladder Safety
OSHA toolbox talk: portable ladder safety template can be used to discuss how to identify and avoid hazards while using portable ladders. Use iAuditor to confirm that information on safety tips were fully understood by all workers before commencing work. Record any hazards found during the shift to address the issue and provide necessary actions. More ladder safety checklists.
OSHA Toolbox Talk: Scaffolding
Scaffolds are temporary structures used to support employees when working at heights. Use OSHA toolbox talk: scaffolding template to remind employees of general requirements on safety precautions to avoid scaffolding hazards like unstable bases, inadequate footings and cross bracing, unsafe access, and defective platforms. Use iAuditor to take photo evidence of damaged scaffoldings and assign corrective action while generating reports on the spot. Free scaffold inspection checklists.
OSHA Toolbox Talk: Confined Space
Asphyxiation or oxygen deficiency due to the presence of deadly gases is a common cause of incidents when working in confined space. Use OSHA toolbox talk: confined space converted to iAuditor to remind employees to test and monitor oxygen content, flammability, and toxicity of the confined space before and during entry. Document questions, hazards, and physical symptoms detected to provide necessary actions needed. Browse confined space checklists.
OSHA Toolbox Talk: Excavation Safety
Excavation is one of the most dangerous operation in the construction industry. Common hazards like cave-ins, falling loads, and hazardous atmospheres can be prevented by conducting toolbox talk. Use OSHA toolbox talk: excavation safety to communicate preventive measures to protect workers from injuries and fatalities. Free excavation and trench safety checklists.
OSHA Toolbox Talk: Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls
Slips, Trips, and Falls are the common causes of accidents in the workplace. Use OSHA toolbox talk: preventing slips, trips and falls to avoid sprains and strains, bruises and contusions, fractures, abrasions, and lacerations. Discuss ways to prevent these hazards and ensure that all employees fully understand these preventive measures.
OSHA Toolbox Talk: Chemical Safety
Overexposure to chemical substances may cause acute or chronic health damages. Wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before commencing work and minimize your exposure to chemical substances. Use this OSHA toolbox talk: chemical safety to discuss the pictogram labels that alert users of the chemical hazards. This will ensure the safety of all employees when handling, storing, and disposing chemicals. Other chemical safety checklists.
Working at Heights Toolbox Talk Template
It is always best to avoid working at heights. But when necessary, all employees must fully understand hazards and the preventive measures before commencing work. Use working at heights toolbox talk to heighten workers’ awareness on general tips and measures to keep them safe and protected. Other working at heights checklists.
Weekly Toolbox Talk Template
This weekly toolbox talk template is used for recording details from safety talks and toolbox meetings. This includes areas to record items from previous meetings, new safety issues to discuss, general business and an attendance log, and signature fields.
Weekly Safety Meeting Sheet
This weekly safety meeting sheet is converted by Hudson Company with iAuditor to record toolbox talks digitally. Use weekly safety meeting sheets to document comments and points raised during the safety meeting, record attendance, and corrective actions.
12. Electrical Safety Toolbox Talk Template
Almost all jobs involve the use of electrical tools and equipment that can either be used directly or indirectly depending on the task performed. Discussing this topic during toolbox talk help remind every worker about the hazards of electricity and the preventive measures when getting in contact with it. Use this electrical safety toolbox talk to refresh safety knowledge on electricity. Download other electrical inspection checklists.
PPE Toolbox Talk Template
Use this general PPE Toolbox talk template to protect employees from physical harm caused by uncontrollable hazards. This template discusses different kinds of personal protective equipment (PPE) that can be used to minimize the likelihood and mitigate the effects of hazards. Use this template to assess the sufficiency and availability of equipment for all workers. Document accidents or near-misses caused by faulty PPE and discuss solutions to avoid these hazards. Check out more PPE checklists.
Manual Handling Toolbox Talk Template
Manual handling largely involves frequent use of human effort to lift, lower, push, pull or carry a load. These handling operations often lead to fatigue, back and neck injuries, and other musculoskeletal disorders if improper handling techniques were applied. Use this toolbox talk template to educate your workers about the potential risks when doing manual handling in work operations. Browse other free ergonomic assessment checklists.
OSHA Fall Protection - Basic Types Safety Talk
Almost all jobs involve the use of electrical tools and equipment that can either be used directly or indirectly depending on the task performed. Discussing this topic during toolbox talk help remind every worker about the hazards of electricity and the preventive measures when getting in contact with it. Use this electrical safety toolbox talk to refresh safety knowledge on electricity. Download other electrical inspection checklists.
Heat Stress Toolbox Talk Template
This template was created by the Centre for Construction Research and Training, and modified using iAuditor. Use this toolbox talk template to discuss how workers can recognize symptoms of heat illnesses when working in a hot environment. Provide real life examples and preventive measures such as keeping yourself hydrated all the time. List your action plans using iAuditor’s Dynamic Field feature and get everyone sign off to confirm.
