Free Toolbox Talks

A fall from even a modest height can cause life-changing injury. Plan the work, avoid height where possible and use collective protection before personal protection.

Ladders are suitable only for low-risk, short-duration work after assessment. The ladder, ground and user must all be right for the job.

A tower is a designed system, not a collection of interchangeable scaffold parts. It must be assembled to the manufacturer’s configuration by people who are competent for the method used.

MEWPs reduce many work-at-height risks but can overturn, entrap or crush. Selection, ground conditions, operator competence and rescue arrangements must be confirmed before use.

Most handling injuries develop through poor planning, repetition or an unexpected load. Avoid unnecessary lifting and change the load, route or method before relying on lifting technique.

PPE is the last line of defence, not the first control. It works only when it is suitable, compatible, fitted, maintained and actually worn.

Most slips and trips are preventable by controlling contamination, routes and changes in level. Treat trailing leads and spills as defects, not normal site conditions.

Good housekeeping is a control for fire, slips, cuts, falling objects and blocked escape. Everyone owns it throughout the shift, not just at the end.

Asbestos cannot be identified reliably by sight. If work may disturb the building fabric, check reliable survey information and stop whenever the material or scope is uncertain.

Cutting stone, concrete, brick, mortar and tile can release respirable crystalline silica. The finest harmful dust may be invisible, so control it at source every time.

Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent and usually develops unnoticed. Reduce noise at source and use hearing protection as a controlled final layer.

Regular vibration from powered tools can permanently damage circulation, nerves and joints. Tool choice, exposure time and maintenance matter more than gloves.

Electricity can cause fatal shock, burns and fire without warning. Use the correct supply, protect cables and isolate before any intervention.

Cables, gas pipes and other services can be concealed in ground, walls, floors and ceilings. Plans and detectors reduce risk but neither proves the area is clear.

Excavations can collapse without warning and may contain services, water or dangerous atmospheres. Protection must be designed and installed before anyone enters danger.

A label or SDS describes a product; the COSHH assessment must describe how this site will use it. Dust, fume and mist generated by work also count even when no product SDS exists.

Construction and maintenance work changes fire risk quickly as routes, alarms and combustible loads move. Everyone must know how to raise the alarm and leave without delay.

Flame, sparks and heat can ignite material far from the immediate work. Hot work should be avoided where possible and otherwise controlled through a site-specific permit and fire watch.

Reversing and slewing plant can kill people who believe the operator has seen them. Separate people and vehicles by design and use a clear, enforced movement plan.

A lifting operation must be planned, supervised and carried out safely. No one should be beneath a suspended load or guessing the load weight, centre of gravity or signals.

Working alone does not automatically make work unsafe, but help may be delayed and some tasks must not be done alone. The assessment must match the worker, location, communication and emergency response.

Heat can impair judgement before a person recognises serious illness. Plan work, hydration, shade and acclimatisation, and treat confusion or collapse as an emergency.

Cold, rain, ice and wind reduce dexterity, judgement and equipment performance. Adjust the work and stop when conditions exceed the safe system or equipment limits.

Pressure becomes harmful when demands exceed a person’s ability or resources to cope. Early, respectful conversations and practical changes can prevent harm.

Alcohol, illegal drugs, some medicines and fatigue can make safety-critical work unsafe. The aim is to prevent harm and obtain help, while applying the site policy consistently.

Prompt first aid can reduce harm, and accurate reporting prevents recurrence. Everyone must know how to summon help and preserve critical information.

A near miss is a warning where luck prevented harm. Reporting it allows controls to be fixed before the same event injures someone.

Clean toilets, washing, drinking water, changing and rest facilities are basic controls, not optional extras. Welfare must be available from the start and maintained throughout the work.

Cutting and grinding create high-energy fragments, sparks, dust, noise and vibration. Match the machine, guard, disc and controls to the material before starting.

A familiar tool can still cause severe injury if it is wrong for the task, defective or used without control. Check it before use and isolate it before adjustment.

A wheel can burst at operating speed and project lethal fragments. Only trained, authorised people should select and mount wheels, using the machine’s guard and manufacturer instructions.

Flying particles, dust, chemicals, radiation and molten material need different protection. Ordinary spectacles are not safety eyewear.

Hearing protection only reduces exposure when the right type is fitted continuously in the noise zone. It must support, not replace, source and engineering controls.

RPE is the last line of defence against inhalation and must match the contaminant, concentration, task and wearer. Tight-fitting masks protect only when the wearer has passed a face-fit test for that exact make, model and size.

A confined space can have fatal atmospheres, engulfment or restricted rescue even when it looks harmless. Do not enter unless a competent assessment, safe system and rescue plan authorise it.

Legionella bacteria can grow in poorly controlled water systems and infect people through inhaled aerosol. Work must follow the building’s water-management scheme and competent risk assessment.

People respond better in an emergency when roles, signals and routes have been practised. Know the plan before work begins and update it when the site changes.

Members of the public do not know the site hazards and may include children or vulnerable people. Secure the boundary and design work so a simple mistake outside it cannot cause harm.

Poor waste control causes injury, fire, pollution and unlawful disposal. Segregate materials at source and use only the site’s approved storage and removal routes.

Damaged, incompatible or overheating lithium batteries can fail rapidly and produce fire, toxic smoke and re-ignition. Use approved batteries and chargers in a managed charging area.