Toolbox talks the crew will actually hear.
Five minutes, one topic, plain words. Read the points, ask the questions, get the signatures. Each one cites the OSHA rule behind it.
Trench boxes
At 5 ft or deeper, the trench needs a box, shoring or a slope. Over 20 ft, an engineer designs it.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.1424Swing radius and spotters
The counterweight swings wider than you think. Stay out of the swing radius.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.251Rigging and tag lines
Inspect slings, shackles and hooks before each shift. Cut, kinked or crushed means out of service.
5 min · MUTCD Part 6Hot mix and traffic
Hot mix comes off the truck around 300 °F. Long sleeves and gloves.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.1053Ladders and harnesses
Guardrail or harness at 6 ft.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.1153 (Table 1)Silica dust
Cutting, grinding or drilling concrete, block, brick or stone makes silica dust. It causes silicosis and lung cancer.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.1408Overhead lines
Look up before you raise a boom, bed or mast.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.651(b)Call 811 before you dig
Call 811 before any digging, even post holes.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.651(b)If you hit a gas line
Stop. Shut off engines if it's safe to.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.651(c)(2)Trench ladders and spoil piles
At 4 ft deep, you need a way out within 25 ft of you.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.651(k)Cave-in warning signs
Cracks along the top edge.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.601(b)(4)Backing up and blind spots
If you can't see the operator's mirrors, they can't see you.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.602(a)(2)Seat belts and rollovers
Wear the seat belt in any machine with a rollover cage.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.600(a)(3)Caught-in and caught-between
Never stand between a machine and something solid.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2)Three points of contact
Two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand, every time you climb on or off.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.502(b)Guardrails and hole covers
Top rail at 42 in, give or take 3 in, with a midrail.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.502(d)Check your harness
Look over webbing, stitching, buckles and the D-ring before each use.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.502(d)(20)Fall rescue
Hanging in a harness cuts off blood flow. Rescue has to be fast.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3)Scaffold check before you climb
A competent person inspects it before each shift.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.453Boom lift basics
Test the controls every day.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.1053(b)Ladder setup: 4 to 1, 3 feet over
1 ft out for every 4 ft up.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.1053Stepladders
Open fully and lock the spreaders.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.106Working over water
Life jacket on whenever you could fall in.
5 min · OSH Act Section 5(a)(1) (General Duty Clause)Heat illness
Water, rest, shade.
5 min · OSH Act Section 5(a)(1) (General Duty Clause)Cold stress
Layers you can take off. Keep a dry pair of socks and gloves.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.55Carbon monoxide
Gas saws, pumps, compactors, generators and heaters all make CO.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.52Hearing protection
If you have to shout at arm's length, it's too loud.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.102Eye and face protection
Safety glasses marked Z87 whenever there's anything flying.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.100Hard hats
Wear it where anything can fall or you can hit your head.
5 min · MUTCD Part 6High-vis gear
Everyone in the road right of way wears high-vis.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.59 (29 CFR 1910.1200)Read the label and SDS
Every chemical on site has a safety data sheet. Know where they are.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.62Lead in old paint and pipe
Buildings from before 1978 can have lead paint.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.1101Asbestos before demo
Older pipe insulation, floor tile, roofing and mastic can hold asbestos.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)GFCIs and cords
Every 120-volt temp power outlet needs a GFCI.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.417Lock it out
Shut it down, lock it out, tag it.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.300(b)Power tool guards
Guards stay on. A pinned-back guard is how fingers get cut off.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.303Grinders and cutoff wheels
Wheel rated for the grinder's RPM or higher.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.302(e)Powder-actuated tools
Only trained and carded operators.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2)Lifting without hurting your back
Test the weight before you lift.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.25Housekeeping
Clean as you go.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.25Slips and trips
Most falls happen on the same level.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.150Fire extinguishers
One within 100 ft of travel anywhere in the building.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.352Hot work fire watch
Move or cover anything that can burn.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.350Gas cylinders
Store upright and chained.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.152Fueling equipment
Engine off. No smoking.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AAConfined spaces: test before you enter
Manholes, vaults, tanks and pits can have bad air you can't smell.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.1425Never under the load
Nobody under a suspended load. Ever.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.1419-1926.1422Crane hand signals
One qualified signal person per lift, and the operator knows who it is.
5 min · 29 CFR 1910.178Forklift tip-over
Seat belt on.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.701(b)Rebar caps and impalement
Cap or cover any vertical rebar someone could fall on.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.703(e)Stripping forms
Strip only when the super says the concrete is strong enough.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.95Wet concrete burns
Wet concrete is caustic. It burns skin and you may not feel it for hours.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.706Masonry walls: limited access zone and bracing
Limited access zone: wall height plus 4 ft, the full length of the wall.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.201(a)Flagging basics
STOP/SLOW paddle, not a flag, as the main signal.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.56Working at night
Class 3 high-vis at night.
5 min · OSH Act Section 5(a)(1) (General Duty Clause)Lightning: 30 minutes
When thunder roars, go indoors: a building or a hard-top vehicle.
5 min · 29 CFR 1910.266 (good practice)Chainsaw kickback
Kickback starts at the top of the bar tip. Keep it out of the wood.
5 min · 29 CFR 1926.50First aid and the nearest ER
Know who's first-aid trained on this crew.
5 min · OSH Act Section 5(a)(1) (General Duty Clause)Phones and distraction
No phones while operating or spotting.
Questions crews ask
What is a toolbox talk?
A short safety meeting, usually 5 to 10 minutes at the start of a shift, on one topic that matters for today's work. The crew signs that they were there.
Does OSHA require toolbox talks?
Not by that name, but OSHA requires training on the hazards of the work (29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2)), and a signed talk is the simplest record that it happened. Many GCs require one daily or weekly.
How do I pick a topic?
Match it to today's work: trenching day, talk trench boxes; paving day, hot mix and traffic. The JHA builder suggests the talk that goes with each task.
Send today's talk to every phone.
Free for one site and one camera. $99 a site after. Crew is always free. 7 days of everything free, no card.