Steel erectors association releases poster on pre-task meetings

Winston-Salem, NC — The Steel Erectors Association of America has created a downloadable poster for the 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction – set for May 1-5.

The voluntary OSHA event is intended to prevent fall-related deaths and injuries by raising awareness of hazards. SEAA’s new poster features advice and recommendations for pre-task meetings. Among the tips for “before” a meeting:

• Identify tasks that involve the most risk.
• Decide if employees will need refresher training on the risky tasks.
• Determine if an interpreter will be needed for non-English-speaking workers.

And “after”:

• Supervisor should conduct periodic checks to ensure the plan is being followed.
• Ask for feedback on how to improve the meetings.

Then, the poster covers what it calls “the basics.” These include:

• The supervisor hosting the meeting near the work area.
• Putting up barricades to prevent entry, if needed.
• Establishing and communicating the process.

The poster also offers ideas for getting teams involved in the pre-task meetings, such as assigning a different person to lead each meeting, reviewing proper personal protective equipment to wear, and having the crew identify hazards and how they’d fix them.

Two posters from previous years – 11 Tips for Post-Fall Recovery and 7 Tips for Planning a Stand-Down Event – are still available.