Toolbox Talks
Toolbox Talks safety briefings are an easy and efficient way to keep your construction worker employees safe.
What are Toolbox Talks?
These brief meetings offer an opportunity for team members to learn about potential hazards and preventive measures, as well as a chance for the employer to review safety regulations. They are a great way to ensure that everyone is aware of the safety protocols that must be adhered to in order to prevent accidents and injuries on the job site.
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Cold Related Hazards & Controls
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), workers exposed to extreme cold or working in cold environments may be at risk of cold stress.
Heat-Related Hazards & Controls
Date Posted: 02/17/2024
Workers exposed to extreme heat or working in hot environments may be at risk of heat stress. Exposure to extreme heat can result in occupational illnesses and injuries. For example, heat stress can result in heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, or heat rashes
Confined Spaces
Date Posted: 02/10/2024
Confined spaces, such as utility holes, crawl spaces, and tanks, are not designed for continuous occupancy and are difficult to exit in an emergency. People working in confined spaces face life-threatening hazards, including toxic atmospheres/substances, electrocutions, explosions, and asphyxiation.
Silica in construction
Date Posted: 10/28/2023
OSHA estimates that more than 840,000 workers are exposed to silica levels that exceed the new permissible exposure limit (PEL) annually. Silica is found in many materials common on construction sites, including sand, concrete, rock, mortar, stone, and brick. When workers cut, grind, abrasive blast, jackhammer, or perform other tasks that disturb these materials, dust containing crystalline silica can be released into the air. Workers who inhale this dust are at risk.
Lead in construction
Date Posted: 10/27/2023
Lead is a toxic, naturally occurring heavy metal. Traditionally in the construction industry, most over-exposures to lead have been found in the trades such as plumbing, welding, and painting.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Hazards in Construction
Date Posted: 10/27/2023
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. Although it has no detectable odor, CO is often mixed with other gases that do have an odor. So, you can inhale carbon monoxide right along with gases that you can smell and not even know that CO is present.
Asbestos in Construction
Date Posted: 10/24/2023
Around 5,000 people from all industries die from asbestos-related diseases every year. According to the Washington State Department of Health, asbestos is a mineral fiber found in rocks and soil. It was once widely used in building materials and products to strengthen them and provide heat insulation and fire resistance. It is still used in some products today.
Carbon Monoxide - The Silent Killer
Date Posted: 09/23/2016
Carbon monoxide gas is colorless, tasteless, odorless and non-irritating. It cannot be detected by any of the senses. Because it is not readily detected, employees can be exposed to very high levels without realizing there is a problem.
Cold Weather Clothing
Date Posted: 09/22/2016
Construction workers can be exposed to extreme weather during the winter months. Cold weather can negatively affect a person’s senses; seeing, smelling, feeling. Productivity is difficult when a worker is cold. Therefore, it is important to choose clothing appropriate for the cold weather conditions.
Construction Pollution Prevention
Date Posted: 09/20/2016
Construction Activity Pollution Prevention requires a lot of coordination and onsite management lending itself to potential overlap and collaboration opportunities between sustainability and safety. There are a number of parallels between safety supervision and construction activity pollution prevention that can make a jobsite and the surrounding community safer.
Demolition Safety
Date Posted: 09/18/2016
Demolition is high-risk work and adequate preparations are required. Falls and premature collapse of structures are the greatest risk. Communication is the best line of defense to reduce injury.
Diesel Exhaust
Date Posted: 09/18/2016
Diesel engines provide power to a wide variety of vehicles, heavy equipment and machinery in a large number of industries such as construction, transportation, mining, agriculture and types of manufacturing operations.
Driver Safe Work Zone
Date Posted: 09/18/2016
Unexpected traffic delays can be avoided by following specific guidelines at the Traffic Control Zone.
Electrical Ground Safety
Date Posted: 09/17/2016
It is critical to understand where electricity is located on a jobsite in order to avoid electrocutions of electrical workers.
Hazardous Communication
Date Posted: 09/10/2016
The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is now aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). This update will provide a common and clear approach to classifying chemicals and communicating hazard information:
Indoor Air Quality - Green Building
Date Posted: 09/07/2016
Green Building Indoor Air Quality Management helps ensure worker safety and reduces the risk of poor air quality to future users of the finished space. A common responsibility of a site safety coordinator.
Lead Exposure
Date Posted: 09/06/2016
OSHA estimates that approximately 838,000 workers in construction are potentially exposed to lead.
Overhead Powerlines
Date Posted: 09/04/2016
Many workers in construction face a common safety hazard: electrical contact with overhead power lines. Every year many workers are killed or disabled after accidentally coming in contact with the lines.
Portable Generator - Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Date Posted: 09/02/2016
Electrical generators can save lives by maintaining heat, light, refrigeration and medical equipment during a power outage. These devices can be hazardous if not utilized properly. The following information outlines the specific hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning inherent with the use of generators.