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Study shows that texting toolbox talks to supervisors helps make safety meetings happen

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Photo: tolgart/iStockphoto

Portland, OR — A recent study of residential construction supervisors in Oregon who received toolbox talks via text messages showed that their compliance with Oregon OSHA’s standard on safety meetings increased – and the delivery method was welcomed.

Researchers sent seven different toolbox talks, based on Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation reports, to 56 supervisors via text every two weeks for three months. Results show that adherence to the agency’s standard, which requires at least one safety meeting a month and a meeting before the start of each job that lasts more than a week, rose 19.4% among the participants.

“We were able to see that using mobile phone technology to disseminate these toolbox talks was feasible and desirable among supervisors,” study co-author Sean Rice, a biostatistician with the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at Oregon Health and Sciences University, told Safety+Health. “We were able to do it, and people seemed to like it.”

Topics of the toolbox talks included falls from a scaffold, a ladder, through a skylight and down an elevator shaft. The supervisors also received a link to access the online toolbox talk libraries of Oregon FACE and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training. The supervisors were asked to use the featured toolbox talk when it was appropriate for their jobsite’s safety concerns and work phase, or find one from one of the libraries that better suited their needs.

The researchers also asked the supervisors about how they communicated the toolbox talks to their workers. While 54% either read the talk or printed documents to share, 41% said they preferred toolbox talks in a video or audio format.

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Rice said future research could focus on improving how toolbox talks are tailored for specific jobs.

“Instead of just sending them the toolbox talk, we could ask them the week before, ‘What tasks are you going to be doing the next week?’” he said. “The researchers or the safety department with the company will identify what the next toolbox talk is going to be and then send it to them.”

The study was published online in the journal Occupational Health Science.

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Bernard Fontaine Jr CIH CSP FAIHA
November 8, 2022
In our busy world or work, we need periodic reminders to stay on track with schedules and meetings and sometimes it crosses over to reminders about what we have learned. Microlearning principles and practice provide timely information for workers to stay healthy and safety. Toolbox talks are a great way to stay connected with your team or co-workers on the job but simple reminders on your mobile phone can help keep remote, gig, and independent workers safe while feeling connected. Communication is our best ally to keep workers informed and connected with the job and with each other.

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Mohale Moima
November 12, 2022
I am so moved by the article on how to effectively conduct toolbox talks and planning ahead of time for toolbox talks going to be held for the up coming tasks. Audio or Video works perfectly for me and my teams.