Safety Training MeetingDaily safety talks (also known as “Tailgate Talks,” “Toolbox Talks,” and “Safety Briefings”) are an invaluable tool for organizations to incorporate into their daily routine.  A recent study by Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. shows that holding a short daily meeting results in a reduction of total recordable incidents.  More specifically, the study showed that companies that hold daily meetings have a 4x LOWER recordable injury rate than those that only hold a meeting monthly!

A Daily Safety Talk is a very brief meeting, between 5-15 minutes, that covers a safety topic directly related to the employee’s work environment.  If it takes more than 15 minutes to review, you most likely need to have a more formal training session on the topic.  So, how can such a short meeting be effective in helping reduce injuries?

5 Reasons to Have Daily Safety Briefs
  1. Reinforce a strong safety culture – By investing time each day to discuss safety, you are sending a strong message that the organization cares about the health and well-being of every employee. 
  2. They are conducive to adult learning styles – When teaching adults, it’s important to present material that is immediately useful to the learner and can applied effectively on the jobsite.
  3. Provide important updates –Use your daily safety talk to discuss changes in workflow, machine operations, or processes and what safety precautions should be taken to avoid injury.
  4. Reinforce your formal safety training - Holding a 5 minute safety training 5 days a week will equate to over 20 hours of safety education on average per employee each year!  Daily safety talks are a great way to reinforce and refresh employees on important points from your formal training sessions.
  5. Facilitate conversation – When employees are actively engaged in their safety program, they are more apt to help keep each other safe.  Daily Safety Talks provide a positive and safe environment to encourage team safety.
 
Resources for starting your program:
OSHA
NIOSH hundreds of topics A-Z
 
LandrumHR’s Risk Management team also has additional resources to help you prepare a meaningful daily safety talk.  Contact us at (850) 476-5100 or email safety@landrumhr.com.