You improve through your people

 “A toolbox talk is an informal group discussion that focuses on a particular safety issue” (Harvard University)

As with all safety matters, there’s no point in having toolbox talks just for the sake of it. Effective toolbox talks can save lives and significantly improve compliance and are an important topic in human factors. Here are Bruche Associates five essentials (BRUCHE) that every toolbox talk should have.

Brief
Toolbox talks shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes to deliver. It’s advisable to hold smaller talks more regularly rather than overload people with information over just one toolbox talk.

Responsive
When toolbox talks are held regularly by a supervisor, it gives employees/contractors the chance to air their concerns and ideas and ensures these are reported further up the chain to management if necessary.

Underpinning
Toolbox talks aren’t the place for general safety presentations. Toolbox talks should be held in the working environment rather than a formal training area and focus on specific tasks or procedures relevant to staff.

Clarity
At the start of a toolbox talk, it should be made clear what the topic is going to be. If these briefings are allowed to grow arms and legs, the result could be a confusing and lengthy meeting.

Helpful
Every toolbox talk should be recorded by the person who’s given the talk. It’s important to have a clear and up-to-date record of what discussions have taken place in terms of safety.
It’s also important to keep track of which staff were present at each toolbox talk, particularly in a shift working environment such as an oil rig. It only takes one member of a crew to miss out on an important safety briefing for potential safety issues to arise.

Engaging
Toolbox talks play an important role in human factors in a number of industry sectors.
An effective toolbox talk should be around 10-15 minutes long and an interactive discussion between the supervisor and employees/contractors. While the detail of the talk is important, it’s also vital that everyone has their chance to contribute and feel they’re being listened to.
The language used should be what the employees/contractors understand and not ‘management speak’ that leaves any room for confusion or misunderstandings.

For your benefit Bruche Associates supports organisations set up and maintain topical and relevant toolbox talks through our Advisory Services, and also through training such as our highly successful and customer rated Behavioural Safety training programmes.

About Bruche Associates Limited

Bruche Associates are an established Health & Safety and Continual Improvement Consultancy, which evolved out of the chemical and oil and gas industries. Bruche Associates Limited is a family run business overseen by Lee and Joanne Marsh who have over 35 years combined experience working in Healthcare Medical Services, Health & Safety Management and Training and Development. Lee qualified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in 1996 before moving into Health and Safety Management with ICI Paints. We work across a range of sectors from chemical manufacturing, engineering, trade & retail, and small & medium size businesses