A tailgate or toolbox safety meeting is a simple, quick way to keep safety front of mind and fresh on a worksite or job. Complacency is a huge factor in workplace incidents. Toolbox talks are a great way to fight complacency by discussing hazards, safety and work practices that pose a risk of injury.
1. Prepare the topic ahead of time and choose a distraction free location
Practice the talk to yourself a couple of times before you hold the actual meeting with workers. The more familiar you are with content the less likely you are to stumble or get stuck.
Hold the toolbox talk in an area that is free of noise and other distractions. If the workers can’t hear you talking, or are distracted by other activities in the area, they won’t be focusing on what you’re saying.
2. Ensure the topic is relevant to your industry and job site, and make it personal
Make sure the topic is something that is currently applicable and relevant to the workers present.
Also connecting the reason for staying safe to the topic (staying safe so they can play baseball with their kids and be there for their families) is a way to drive the point home and make it about more than just the job site. If the workers present don’t feel like the topic applies to them you’ll have a hard time maintaining interest.
3. Keep it short and to the point
People have limited attention spans and they’ll eventually start tuning you out no matter how important the topic of your safety meeting is. Make only the necessary points. If you have additional information, put it in a handout. Or save it for the next meeting later on. Coming back to the same topic while adding new information can help keep retention high as well as keep the subject interesting.
4. Keep the focus on what can be done currently to keep people safe
A worksite investigation is the effect of something negative that has already happened. A safety talk has the capacity to be the opposite - forward looking and focused on what can change to keep people safe, instead of what went wrong to cause an accident. It’s an opportunity to get people to look ahead and create a safe environment in the future.
5. Make your talk interactive and involve the audience
Nobody likes feeling like they’re being spoken at or given a lecture. Making your talk interactive keeps attention and involvement high. Demonstrations, discussions and interactive examples are easy ways to get people to participate. It also helps in keeping workers and employees as something engaging and interesting instead of something to fall asleep during.
6. Give examples and tell stories
People remember stories, they stick in our heads. Just stay away from an epic saga. Keep the examples brief, relevant and clearly connected to your topic and the point you’re making.
