Toolbox Talk - Working Platforms

This Toolbox Talk Guidance Note and Form on Working Platforms discusses working platforms which can comprise of almost anything you stand on to achieve your task, such as trestle platforms, stepladders etc. This talk covers how to use them safely.

The concept of Toolbox Talks is that a short talk is delivered to the workforce approximately once a week, to remind them and update them on health and safety issues. Here are some guidelines on how the talk should be delivered:-

Choice of Toolbox topic: choose a topic that is relevant to your audience; there is little point in talking about office safety to a group of ground workers. You could choose a talk related to an incident from the news; something that happened on site recently; new work processes; hazards, or in the absence of any particular circumstances, pick a talk from the list.

Location: The talk does not have to be given in an office; a mess-room or workshop area will suffice. It does, however, need to be somewhere quiet where you can hold a conversation easily.

Size of audience: Between 4 and 10 workers will be the most effective.

Duration: the duration should be limited to 10-15 minutes. Try not to become side-tracked on other issues; choose your topic and stick to it. If other issues are raised, consider them for the next talk.

Approach: Use a questioning approach, get the message across and listen to the responses. Toolbox talks are not lectures and are designed to get people to think and talk about Health, Safety and Environmental issues. Think of them as a refresher course, reminding the workforce of what they should already know.

- Try to generate interest in the topic with questions, such as “What are the hazards from the incident described?” or “What precautions should be taken in these circumstances?”
- Highlight some key words as a reminder to yourself
- Avoid just reading the notes on your topic.

Do not allow the group to get side tracked, if it is important and relevant, allow a short discussion off topic then bring the discussion back to the main issue.

Signatures: obtain signatures from all attendees to keep on file. A signature list is attached to the Toolbox Talk document.