What Is A Toolbox Talk?

Toolbox talk is a phrase regularly used around construction sites, and it is often used in other industries as well. You may have heard "toolbox talk" and wondered what it means.

What exactly is a toolbox talk?

A toolbox talk is not - as the name suggests - a talk about toolboxes. Sorry if that disappoints any toolbox enthusiasts reading this post!

A toolbox talk is a short health and safety talk, usually focused on a single health and safety topic.

Other names for toolbox talks

Toolbox talks can sometimes go by other names too. They are also known as:

• Safety moments
• Health and safety briefs
• Safety talks
• Safety minutes

But, whatever name you give it, they essentially all mean the same thing - a short health and safety talk about a specific health and safety subject.

A 'toolbox talk' is a short presentation to the workforce on a single aspect of health and safety.

Toolbox talks happen where work happens

Most toolbox talks take place on the site. Unlike classroom-based training, toolbox talks happen where the work happens.

This might not be the best place to expect your team to learn a new or difficult topic. It's not a place for exams or complex theories. But that's not what a toolbox talk is designed to be.

A toolbox talk is not a full training course or an in-depth look at a subject. It's more like a quick overview of the important facts and considerations.

Your toolbox talk should be quick and to the point. It should cover information that is mostly already known, perhaps to refresh knowledge previously learned or to expand on it.

In a classroom or off-site on a training course, you are mostly concentrating on the theory of a subject. But your workplace can be the perfect place to bring health and safety information to life.

The hazards and risks are real, and the topic is relevant to the work you are carrying out.

A toolbox talk is a way of raising health and safety standards, by reminding your team of the safety information they need, when they need it. To achieve this your talk needs to be interesting. It needs to relate to the work you are doing.

Toolbox talks are a quick refresher

Because a toolbox talk is not a full safety course, it shouldn't be treated as such. It shouldn't take up half a day, and try to cover every health and safety topic at once. That's why you need to focus on one topic for your talk. That way, when you finish, your team have that message at the front of their minds.

It should be:

• Short
• Relevant
• Focused on one topic
• Up to date

The talk should usually be 5-10 minutes in length and only focus on one subject for each talk.

If I tell you one thing, I bet you could quite easily remember it for the rest of the day. If I tell you 20 things, I doubt you would remember them all. And that one really important thing might be one of the things you forget.

For the same reasons, you should not try to cram multiple toolbox talks into one day. This is an easy mistake to make. If you are on a roll and want to make sure you cover everything.

But don't.

People can only retain so much at once - especially when they have a busy day on site ahead of them.

The whole purpose of a toolbox talk is to be a quick refresher on a single subject, to bring attention to a relevant health and safety topic and to keep knowledge refreshed. Give your talk in the morning, and let that information sink in through the day.

Here are some examples of toolbox talk topics you might want to cover:

• Accident Prevention
• Asbestos
• Confined Spaces
• COSHH
• Dust
• Electrical Safety
• Excavations
• Fire Safety
• First Aid
• Gas Safety
• Ladder Use
• Manual Handling
• Mobile Phones
• Noise at Work
• Outdoor Working
• PPE
• Safety Signs
• Slips and Trips
• Stress
• Transport Management
• Vibration
• Welfare Facilities
• Working at Height

Need more ideas for topics? Check out the best 100 safety topics for toolbox talks.

Toolbox talks should happen often

Toolbox talks should be carried out regularly, so keeping your talk short is important so that it is not intrusive to the working day.

And it doesn't always mean getting your team together to deliver the talk in person. Toolbox talks can happen in different formats, like presentations, demonstrations, video or software.

If you carry out toolbox talks daily, you can pick a topic that matches the activities happening that day.

The best subject for your toolbox talk is the one that will have the most impact on safety.

The more relevant the talk is to the work happening on site, the more it will be remembered because your team will associate it with the work they are doing.

Having a routine of a particular time of day, usually when starting work or near the morning break works best, near the beginning of the shift so that the primary focus of the team is on the work ahead, rather than heading home - when work is the last thing on your mind!

A toolbox talk is designed to improve health and safety. So focus on a subject that affects the team, either an activity or task that is being carried out, a hazard they are exposed to, a control, or equipment that is in place.

Toolbox talk benefits

• Health and safety awareness
• Refreshing knowledge
• Updating knowledge
• Improving health and safety standards
• Complying with legal requirements
• Constant reminders
• Positive health and safety culture
• Safer work environment
• Fewer accidents

Toolbox talks are a fundamental part of any health and safety management system. Not only for delivering health and safety information but also for keeping that information refreshed and up to date.

The content of your toolbox talks may have been covered in other training courses. You may have had training on a particular subject in the past. But is that knowledge up to date? How much do you remember?

Some health and safety training only needs to be refreshed every 3 years. I struggle to remember things I read about last week let alone 2-3 years ago.

A toolbox talk is designed to remind, refresh and retain this knowledge.

Toolbox talks might not be legally required, but they do help you comply with legal requirements.

By giving regular toolbox talks, the aim is to create a positive health and safety culture.

Starting each day with a short health and safety reminder on a relevant subject is a great way to keep health and safety at the front of the mind. This is likely to help you achieve better compliance with rules and best practices, and reduce accident rates and ill health.

This means fewer accidents leading to reduced costs, and increased productivity, and helps create a safe working environment and a healthy and happy workforce.

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Get started with toolbox talks today with our ready-to-use toolbox talk templates. Or, join the Talks Plan and let us manage your toolbox talk delivery.