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Tool box safety talk

watglen

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
1,314
Location
Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
Occupation
Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
Hi guys,

I think I should be bringing safety more to the forefront with my crew. Trouble is I don't know how.

Like most of us, I grew up on a farm and safety was never preached. The general idea was don't get hurt. And for someone with some smarts, and a good sense of what can go wrong, it works. I have never had a serious accident over many many years running machinery.

However, more and more I am realizing that people who didn't grow up in the seat simply don't have those sensibilities. They don't realize what can happen, what is likely to happen, and what might happen in the rare circumstance. And why would they, they don't have the 40 years of training.

So I have to find a way to pass on my knowledge to them before they hurt themselves.

How do I do that? I was thinking the morning toolbox talk might be a good idea, but I really don't know what to say.

Any pointers from those who have done it?
 

Cmark

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
3,176
Location
Australia
Hi guys,

I think I should be bringing safety more to the forefront with my crew. Trouble is I don't know how.

Like most of us, I grew up on a farm and safety was never preached. The general idea was don't get hurt. And for someone with some smarts, and a good sense of what can go wrong, it works. I have never had a serious accident over many many years running machinery.

However, more and more I am realizing that people who didn't grow up in the seat simply don't have those sensibilities. They don't realize what can happen, what is likely to happen, and what might happen in the rare circumstance. And why would they, they don't have the 40 years of training.

So I have to find a way to pass on my knowledge to them before they hurt themselves.

How do I do that? I was thinking the morning toolbox talk might be a good idea, but I really don't know what to say.

Any pointers from those who have done it?

Like a lot of people I was sceptical when I first came across the morning toolbox talks, but speaking from the position of a mechanic who can be on a different site everyday I can see great value in them.

The ones I have been to basically let everyone know who is working on the site and what they are doing. What is important is that everyone is present. If your talk is at 6.30 in the morning and the surveyors don't start until 8.00, tough. Tell them they have to be there at 6.30.

Just run through what is going to be happening that day and what hazards people can expect, eg;

"Bill and his crew will be working area A over there. It's next to the haul road so truck drivers be aware of Bill's guys in the area, watch for the traffic controllers and stick to the speed limit."

"You surveyors are new on site. Your names are? "...." and "....". OK, You'll be surveying the eastern slope, right? This is Frank. Frank is on the D8 and will be working the pad to your right. We work on CB channel 26 OK. Frank. You know where to expect to see these guys?. Make sure you keep in touch with each other."

" We've got these mechanics working on the crane in the corner. Anything we should know about? You're welding huh? OK I'll come over and we'll see if you need a permit to work" etc etc

What is important in my opinion is to make it personal and keep it (reasonably) informal.
 

Mike L

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
1,897
Location
Texas
Occupation
Self employed field mechanic
We have a monthly safety meeting at a local diner. The boss buys breakfast and has a safety guy come in and cover something different every month. Some of it is the same old stuff but he asks us alot of questions and interacts with us to keep our attention.
 

Jumbo

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
682
Location
Black Diamond WA
Occupation
retired
Most state's L&I have safety meeting "templates," much of what you see is worthless, but there are many nuggets that you can pick out to fit your needs. Many contractor associations have similar resources. BC has some fabulous safety videos for logging, and I bet they have them for construction also. What they preach is "old hat" to many, but to others it is useful. In fact, it does not hurt to hear the "old hat" repeated every so often.

Cmark hit it correctly, talk about the day's activities; who what when and where.

Since I have been getting close to retirement age, I seem to stress retiring with good health and all my body parts. Young people have little mechanical intuitive knowledge. Not the wrench knowledge, but the Issac Newton knowledge many of the young people have little understanding that a hammer can fall and hurt you or. heavy things in motion tend to stay in motion until the squash somebody. Watch how they drive. They are good with their thumbs on a smart phone, but that is about as far as their mechanical experience goes. The good news, they are teachable at least in my experience, although they seem to be rather literal and do not understand nuances of heavy work.
 

FSERVICE

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Messages
635
Location
indiana
I have to say don't forget the simple things!!! sometimes the easy things people take for granite,(even us older mechanics need a reminder every so often) things you don't give a second thought to the young guys have never thought could/would ever happen;) its easy just look around the site (you will find someone doing something unsafe) don't just pick on the offender just bring it up on how he could have done it safer the next time. or ask the guys to think of something they have done in the last week that wasn't exactly the smartest/safest way something should have been done..
 

watglen

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
1,314
Location
Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
Occupation
Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
Had our first meet yesterday morning. The guys were receptive and took is seriously, which is good.

the cat website toolbox talks section has lots of food for thought. Should give me what I need.

Thanks for the tips.
 

old-iron-habit

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
4,233
Location
Moose Lake, MN
Occupation
Retired Cons't. Supt./Hospitals
Each of our crews or even partial crews do what we call a STA (safety task analysis) each morning. The crew discusses the task they are about to perform, decide how they are going to perform the task, talk about what the hazards are, and what they are going to do to mitigate them. We use a template format that covers PPE, rigging hoisting, tools, etc for them to use more as a prompt to keep them thinking about all the hazards. Everyone on the crew signs off on the STA. Monitoring it over the years we have discovered that it saves time, not costing time, as the crews have a work plan in place before they start and usually have the right tools in hand to do it before they start. This along with the safer work plan makes it a win win. This format has become popular on the bigger jobs with all the subcontractors also in recent years and is an owner requirement on most of the refinery, pipeline, and power/windmill projects we do around the nation.
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,128
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
this has been mention in part above but when I am tasked with training a new person on a piece of equipment I all stress that the machine does not give a sh*t about you. It will chew you up and spit you out and keep on going like nothing happened.

One thing I don't like and have tried with little success to correct where I work is who does the training. Many times I have trained someone then a new guy is hired and the guy I trained just a couple months ago will be the one who is charged with training the new guy then in a few months another new guy is hired and trained by the last trained guy.

I look at it like the old game we played when kids where you sat in a circle and one person was given a note after reading it he whispered it to the next person and each person was to whisper it in the next persons ear and when it got around the circle the last person said it out loud. The final message always was much different than the original.

If each person omits or incorrectly explains a detail it can get to the point something critical will be missed. Not saying I have not missed a detail but every step in the process just compounds it.

I always encourage new guys (and even not new guys) to ask questions if after running a machine they forgot something or if it does not make sense. And I try if at all possible to show them where it is in the operator manual so they know it's not just some old guy making wild guesses.
 

Catpower

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
52
Location
Prince George BC
Occupation
Electrician, equipment operator
I find now a days that most young people <40 aren't interested in learning and know everything! I have always been under the assumption that everyone wants to learn! WRONG!
As a kid on the farm I learned that if I cover what Will go wrong, Can go wrong , May go wrong I won't have any problems when I do ( the job ).
There are 3 ways to learn.

1. By other peoples mistakes. This is best it doesn't hurt and costs less. It costs companies money to go over the accident but CAN make people aware of mistakes/ Problems that led to something going wrong in a relevant field.
2. By your mistakes. This involves pain and lots of paperwork.
3. Those that just don't learn!
 

johntims

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2013
Messages
28
Location
Blackie Alberta Canada
Occupation
Service manager
Funny you say that... I have found that the older boys are harder to get safety across to. If I had a dollar for every time I had been told "I have been doing it this way for 20 years" I would be a rich man. Just because you have always done it that way doesn't mean its the safe way to do it. I make my guys do a job hazard assessment before beginning each job and reward the one with the most effort put in each month with a $50 gift card to the Keg.
I find now a days that most young people <40 aren't interested in learning and know everything! I have always been under the assumption that everyone wants to learn! WRONG!
As a kid on the farm I learned that if I cover what Will go wrong, Can go wrong , May go wrong I won't have any problems when I do ( the job ).
There are 3 ways to learn.

1. By other peoples mistakes. This is best it doesn't hurt and costs less. It costs companies money to go over the accident but CAN make people aware of mistakes/ Problems that led to something going wrong in a relevant field.
2. By your mistakes. This involves pain and lots of paperwork.
3. Those that just don't learn!
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,128
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
I make my guys do a job hazard assessment before beginning each job and reward the one with the most effort put in each month with a $50 gift card to the Keg.

Just wondering what qualifies as "beginning each job"? Not trying to be a smart a$$ but would this mean each time you are given a job like, replace starter on the parts truck, or replace injectors in the 769D haul truck. I can see this if the job is "Remove crusher from second floor of mill". Or split 988B frames to have center pin holes line bored.

Or by "job" are you talking replace sewer line down the center of Pine Ave.?
 

johntims

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2013
Messages
28
Location
Blackie Alberta Canada
Occupation
Service manager
We are a service company so every new work order we open requires a hazard assessment. Its just a way we can try and make our guys think about potential hazards before they happen. They are very common for mechanics in our neck of the woods, most of our customers even require us to have them to be on site.
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,128
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
We are a service company so every new work order we open requires a hazard assessment. Its just a way we can try and make our guys think about potential hazards before they happen. They are very common for mechanics in our neck of the woods, most of our customers even require us to have them to be on site.

Guess what I have a hard time understanding is how minor a "job" requires a "hazard assessment". Just to be ridiculous, does a mechanic need to fill oout a form or have a meeting to discuss the hazards involved in changing the wiper blades on a pick-up truck?
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,128
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
You will need a hazard assessment to take a poop soon...

Hey, after a beer and burrito dinner at the local Mexican restaurant that could be a life saver for the next guy in line. At least should do a confined space test before entering the port-a-potty!:eek:
 

johntims

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2013
Messages
28
Location
Blackie Alberta Canada
Occupation
Service manager
Guess what I have a hard time understanding is how minor a "job" requires a "hazard assessment". Just to be ridiculous, does a mechanic need to fill oout a form or have a meeting to discuss the hazards involved in changing the wiper blades on a pick-up truck?
I have worked with some guys that doing that job could very well result in an injury... I guess we would look pretty foolish if a guy did get hurt and the only reason was we thought the job was to minor to do a hazard assessment. Trust me I agree some jobs maybe shouldn't require one, but if you don't do one for all jobs how do you determine what jobs require one and what jobs don't. I find that the most dangerous people to work with are the ones that have that "it will never happen" attitude
 

Walkin Horse

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
5
Location
Va
Hi guys,

I think I should be bringing safety more to the forefront with my crew. Trouble is I don't know how.

Like most of us, I grew up on a farm and safety was never preached. The general idea was don't get hurt. And for someone with some smarts, and a good sense of what can go wrong, it works. I have never had a serious accident over many many years running machinery.

However, more and more I am realizing that people who didn't grow up in the seat simply don't have those sensibilities. They don't realize what can happen, what is likely to happen, and what might happen in the rare circumstance. And why would they, they don't have the 40 years of training.

So I have to find a way to pass on my knowledge to them before they hurt themselves.

How do I do that? I was thinking the morning toolbox talk might be a good idea, but I really don't know what to say.

Any pointers from those who have done it?

Google Safety toolbox talks. You can get ideas from these prewritten ones. I have used them before and you have to pick the rite ones. Someone in a shop usually doesn't need to hear about ditch safety.
 
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