Toolbox Talks: Pitfalls to Avoid

AVOID THESE PITFALLS :

Not Walking the Talk
Actions really do speak louder than words when it comes to safety. All the slogans, posters and toolbox talks in the world won’t make a difference if we act in a different way to what we say. By always being a model of safe work and rule compliance, we can have more of an influence on our team and others we interact with than we ever could through “safety moments” and “monthly safety topics” as important as these are. People naturally look to others for direction, and the thing they look at most is behavior. We must go above and beyond what is required by our site safety systems, and demonstrate to everyone that keeping each other safe is our top value.

Turning a Blind Eye
Safety rules and systems apply to everyone, all the time. When we ignore minor breaches or small unsafe acts, we are effectively condoning and encouraging those actions. By our own lack of action we are telling our team that it’s ok not to follow certain rules or procedures. We can’t turn a blind eye, even when the work is urgent, out of site, or on a back shift. Unacceptable behaviors are best changed early while they are still small.

Not Giving Enough Positive Feedback
While it is important to let others know if they are not working safely or following the correct procedures, it is also important to give people positive feedback when we find them working safely or doing things that make the workplace safer.

Forgetting the Importance of Habits
Habits are what save us when our mind is not consciously on the job. Many of the safety systems we use (such as prestart talks and safety observations) are aimed at creating habits in our minds so that we are constantly aware of hazards in the work, and can react when we see something that can hurt us. Each little action and safety discussion might not prevent an accident itself, but they all add together to create valuable safety habits.

Giving the Wrong Intentions for Safety Observations
When we are going to do a safety observation, we must get our intentions right. Our aim when observing colleagues and team members working should be to find ways to give them feedback which keeps them on their toes and challenges them in their work. We want to challenge each other to make sure we know what we are doing and how to do it safely.
We are not always trying to catch people doing something wrong.

“The sower may mistake and sow his peas crookedly; the peas make no mistake, but come up and show his line.”~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanks for the share TO!