How to Conduct a Successful Toolbox Talk Part 3

Toolbox talks can bring about numerous positive results, from preventing injury to building morale. In Part 1 of this three-part article, we discussed being engaging and incorporating visuals into your presentation. In Part 2, we covered staying on track and projecting positivity.

As any Jacksonville construction lawyer knows, planning, preparation, and evaluating relevance are critical to success. Today in Part 3, we will conclude our series by discussing those aspects of toolbox talks.

Preparation and Planning

Before you address your workers, you should know what you want to communicate and what they should learn from your talk.

Here are a few of the questions you should ask yourself:

  • What is the main subject matter?
  • What are the secondary/complementary subject matters, if any?
  • What do you already know about the subject?
  • What do you still need to learn?
  • What questions will you ask your workers to test their knowledge?
  • What questions will you ask your workers to gain their feedback?
  • What visuals or props will you need?
  • How long do you want your toolbox talk to be?

Planning ensures that you’ll cover all the subject matter critical to the talk and also helps you feel confident. When you feel well-prepared, it enables you to be more engaging and appear more knowledgeable than if you have to read your notes the whole time. Counterintuitively, it takes significant effort to project an effortless demeanor.

The more engaging your talk turns out to be, the better your employees will retain the safety information. This will help prevent accidents, injuries, and the need for a Jacksonville construction litigation attorney.

Your plan should also include a little bit of troubleshooting, such as planning how you will kindly but firmly cut in if an employee tries to tell a particularly long-winded story or hold a marathon gripe session.

Focus on Relevance

Should you do a talk on highway construction safety while your crew is working on a condo? While any type of new knowledge can expand a person’s horizons, this particular toolbox talk topic for this given crew would be ill-advised.

If you aren’t focusing on issues that your crew members perceive as relevant to their current safety or professional understanding, you will start to lose their attention. What’s more, it’s not the best use of your time.

If you are unsure of what toolbox talk topics may be of value, observe your crew and see what matters might be in need of refreshing. Stick to the topics that will affect them today and this week, rather than those that could maybe affect them next year.

If you would like to speak with a Jacksonville construction attorney, please contact us today.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.