Defining An Opportune Construction Safety Moment?
Safety moments come and go quickly. Don’t miss the opportunity. It typically occurs at the beginning of a collaboration meeting. It happens when company leadership opens a short daily safety message and discussion with employees. Some call them “safety toolbox” meetings. Others are strictly defined as a “safety” meeting. In either event, the focus is on a safety-related topic, and the heads-up moments reflect open dialogue rather than a formal safety presentation. In a construction safety moment, leadership enables employees with opportunity to express thoughts and views of the business commitment to jobsite safety issues.
Successful Safety Moments – The Formula
Sorry. Safety moments don’t follow formulas. They just seem to happen according to opportunity, current events, and the interaction between the people currently present in the meeting. Successful safety moments often involve spontaneous reaction to the practical components of a working safety vision for jobsite performance. They can involve a basic presentation of practical advice and discussion or they can involve teachable moments wherein personal stories from employees may be the core of the lesson.
It’s about emotional motivation, personal motivation, of simply need-to-know information that prompts group agreement and overall safety motivation. Successful safety moments often result in a corresponding active response. When the words are finished and the work begins, listeners actively follow up the discussion by performing associated safety activity such as:
- Scheduling safety maintenance on certain machinery
- Posting special safety signs
- Updating first aid kits
- Replacing fire extinguishers
- OR Changing certain work habits.
When really effective, an opportune construction safety moment stimulates reflection in others that leads to a traceable jobsite response. These are personal moments that often demonstrate individual involvement in an established culture for construction site safety. It’s about sharing information rather than pushing requirements. The visions and stories are practical, helpful and never critical.
Safety Moments – Topics and Goals
Although not all safety moment topics involve work-related incidents and activity, they do often include subjects based on:
- Load handling
- Construction vehicles
- Eyes, ears and breathing
- Avoiding falls and electrical hazards
- First aid
- AND other fundamental aspects of workplace safety.
The associated safety goals typically focus on prevention rather than cure. Construction-based safety moments seek to set employee focus on equipment, procedures and healthy work habits.
Safety Moments – Setting Up Opportunities Fitting To A Construction Safety Meeting
Remember: We are talking moments rather than hours. Keep the safety chats brief in informal. Yet establish based upon routine:
- In the morning before work
- Right after lunch
- Just before the end of the workday.
Prior to the discussion, identify specific incidents or conditions that may spark a bit of communication brainstorming. Encourage employee participation, but always keep it on focus. Your core job is to make opportunity for workers to engage in current matters concerning your vision for a company-wide safety culture.
Safety Moments – Keeping Reliable Records
Pen-to-paper solutions rarely provide reliable documentation for safety-related or any other type of company activity. Even Excel spreadsheets make for poor data tracking. If you want to stay compliant, issue timely reminders, and always provide workers with relevant documentation, consider a FREE test run of the Assignar workforce and asset allocation and planning software system.
