Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/705621
46 • august 2016 • world fence news THE HUMAN LINK by Jim Lucci Management Motivational Associates I have addressed the topic of tool box safety talks in the past, but the subject is always current; not only for (hopefully) mitigating your compa- ny's liability in the event of a jobsite injury and keeping worker's comp rates under control, but, most import- ant, preventing them from happening in the first place! I will again review this subject this month and next. I'll present some topics for safety talks, as well as the format and presentation forms that make the most sense. Over these two months, we will endeavor to answer some questions. Let's start by sharing what, in my mind, is a major reason why compa- nies should be conducting these talks on an ongoing basis. As I mentioned above, one factor is to reduce or eliminate jobsite acci- dents, and mitigate the accompanying impact on workers' comp insurance premiums. I am constantly hearing from many of you just how "out-of-sight" your annual premiums are. Having a toolbox safety program that is OSHA compliant can not only serve to be very effective in poten- tially reducing your premiums but also serve as a vivid reminder to your employees about the importance of working safely in their daily tasks; more on this later. The main reason to concentrate on safety is, of course, the human component. No one wants to see any- one injured or, God forbid, killed. The suffering on the part of the individual and on their family and ability to work and earn must be prevented whenever and however possible. "Toolbox topics," "safety chats," or whatever your business or orga- nization calls them, are brief safety talks or meetings about a specific sub- ject, held usually at the beginning of a shift, and are typically brief (five to 10 minutes) interactive discussion meet- ings on something safety related. These toolbox topics are used to cover a variety of short but timely sub- jects and to remind employees of the importance of working safely. More on the specifics in next month's column. Suffice it to say, for now, that hav- ing an effective program in place can significantly reduce accidents in the workplace, which in turn goes a sig- nificant way toward reducing workers' comp rates. I would be remiss if I didn't men- tion further that toolbox chats or safe- ty talks can and should be customized to your company situation. Now we should devote some thought as to where to obtain some re- sources for said toolbox chats. One convenient source for safety topics may be found on the web site www.safetytoolboxtalks.com. It is but one of many sucu sites, and although we are not endorsing the site, it may serve as a "jumping off" point to help develop your talks. It is a portal for safety profession- als to share and exchange free safety topics and resources… specifically toolbox topics and toolbox talks and other safety information. The intention of this particular site is to be an exchange for safety professionals. It can take a lot of work to develop safety topics for such tool- box talks each day or week. It is hoped that, if you use the resources on this or other sites, you will also post your own toolbox talk creations to share with others. Through this exchange, all can benefit from interesting and diverse safety topics to share with employees during the toolbox talk to emphasize safety at work. As a personal observation, I would encourage all to visit the sec- tion which is specifically designed for free safety topics, which includes such diverse subjects as behavioral safety, electrical safety, forklift safety, and chemical safety, to name a few. One other feature which I found interesting on this web site is some- thing they call a "safety discussion forum," which is a place where safety professionals can ask questions and share their experiences with others to assist in reducing workplace hazards. Toolbox safety talks, part 1 continued on page 48