Toolbox talks are a great way to refresh your site team on important safety matters. A toolbox talk is a time on a job-site where a member of the management team gathers the site workers together and delivers a talk on a safety matter that's relevant to the project.

It should only take a short time to conduct, but if well planned and well delivered, a toolbox talk will do the following:

1. Remind your team of certain dangers

In general, each toolbox talk will have a specific subject that is discussed. Subjects can include:

• Extension Cords
• Scaffolding
• Fire Safety
• First Aid
• Slips, Trips and Falls

There are plenty of online sources where toolbox talks can be purchased and it's great practice to deliver at least one per week.

2. Maintain a culture of safe working

Building and maintaining a safety culture on each job-site is extremely important for ensuring everyone makes it home each night. By holding regular toolbox talks on your project, you'll keep safety in the minds of your workers. This should get them looking out for hazards and flagging them before somebody gets hurt.

As with everything in construction, planning is key. So a well planned series of toolbox talks covering issues that are specific to your job-site will make all the difference in building and maintaining a safety culture.

3. Ensure that everyone is taking responsibility for safety

Safety is everyone's responsibility. Period. So it's important to get everyone involved in discussions regarding health and safety matters. 

During your toolbox talk, encourage attendees to get involved by adding to certain key points and asking questions. If one of the attendees has a question, it's likely that someone else in the team will do too. Also, this is a good time for the attendees to flag any potential issues on the site that they've come across and would like to discuss.

4. Portray you leading by example

If workers on your project see that the management team are being proactive with safety, they're more likely to do the same. Leading by example is an effective management tool and ensures that the people working on your site have no excuses when it comes to safety.