Category: Toolbox Talks

Working with or near power lines can expose workers to electrical hazards, but these dangers can be avoided through safe work practices. Exposure to overhead power line hazards is not limited to employees of electrical utilities—workers in industries like construction…

Noise is unwanted sound that can affect your job performance, interfere with communication, startle you, and disrupt your concentration leading to incidents. In addition, the psychological effects of noise include annoyance and disruption of attention. Ideally, engineering design or limiting…

Electric pallet jacks make quick work of moving loads around the workplace. Pallet jacks protect your back from strains and injuries by moving heavy and awkward loads and objects that would be unsafe to lift manually. However, as with any…

An arc flash is a high-voltage electric short circuit that leaves its intended path and travels through the air from one conductor to another (or to the ground). The electrical explosion caused by the event can reach temperatures as high…

Hoisting is used to lift and lower loads using a drum or wheel wrapped around ropes or chains. Hoists can be powered manually, electrically, or pneumatically. Hoists effectively move heavy and/or awkward equipment, requiring specialized training and following safe work…

The loading dock is one of the busiest areas in any facility. Semi-trucks come in, trailers get dropped off, and workers move quickly to load or unload inventory. Forklifts, pallet jacks, hand trucks—and sometimes even people lifting manually—are all in…

Falling objects can be tools, equipment, debris, or construction materials. Objects falling from above and striking people below cause some of the most serious industrial injuries and account for many fatalities every year. Let’s look at the problem of how…

Think of some excuse you have used (or heard others use) for not wearing your eye protection: they are not comfortable, they are dirty, they fogged up you were going to be doing a hazardous task for just a few seconds…

Why is GBVH a key issue in construction? Unsafe Work Conditions: GBVH includes bullying, intimidation, sexual harassment, and other harmful behaviors, creating unsafe environments in construction workplaces. High-Risk Situations: Women, LGBTQ individuals, and persons of color face increased risks due…

Refueling equipment is a necessary part of each construction project. As such, it is important that this operation be conducted in as safe a manner as possible. Remember that gasoline and fuel oils are manufactured to cause an explosion (in…