What are Environmental Toolbox Talks?
Environmental toolbox talks are environmental safety sessions relevant to a job or project, which are delivered prior to starting the work. Generally, these meetings are organised at the work location and takes place prior to initiating the actual work. Special topics covered in environmental toolbox talks includes all the safety aspects related to environmental hazards. These meetings are kept short so they do not consume so much time and safe work practices and workplace hazards are discussed in these meetings.
Important Features
The important features of environmental toolbox talks are:
- They should be conducted prior to initiating the work for which they are delivered.
- They should cover the health and safety hazards related to the environmental aspects of a job.
- These meetings should take place at the work site.
- Every meeting session should be kept short and not more than 10-15 minutes.
- It is important to encourage workers participation.
- All the important points of the current task for which an environmental toolbox talk is delivered should be discussed.
- All the safety issues should be discussed including environment, use of protective gear, first aid and emergency procedures etc.
Delivering Environmental Toolbox Talks
An environmental toolbox talk is a protection training tool which can provide a safety reminder to workers, if delivered properly. These talks enhance safety awareness among employees and also improves the safety culture of a workplace. It is very important to conduct the toolbox talks effectively and efficiently, because if not done properly, they can result in hazards. Relevant environmental toolbox talks can be conducted effectively by keeping the following points in consideration.
Identifying Environmental Issues
It is important to identify environmental issues in pre-activity checklists and work plans. This way employees will have the material and knowledge to resolve those issues and eliminate or reduce the hazards. In case issues are identified, they would need to be addressed prior to initiating the work.
Lessen the Number of Exposed Areas
Reducing the number of exposed areas at a given time can be very helpful in minimizing risks. it can be applied to waste storage, materials used, chemicals, fuel, gas and paints etc.
Engaging the employees
Engaging with the employees during environmental toolbox talks is very important. It can be done by talking directly to them and involving them at each part of the discussion. For engaging the employees, it is important to stick to the topic of concern and discuss about their safety for the given job. It will help them to participate in the meetings and be interactive during the session. Otherwise, if the workers feel that the meeting does not apply to them directly, they quickly loose interest.
Stay focused and positive
Another very important consideration when conducting these toolbox talks, is to stay focused and positive. It is important to take a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach. Environmental toolbox talks are to take precautions prior to the incidents, to avoid them and ensure safety for the environment and employees.
Keep it short
During long meetings it becomes hard to keep everyone attentive, because some people have limited attention spans. If sessions are too long, then no matter how important the topic is, they will tune out eventually. Therefore, to overcome this problem it is important to keep the meeting short and relevant to keep everyone focused and engaged.
To conclude, environmental toolbox talks are of equal importance to any other toolbox talk. Safety of the environment is important, so conducting relevant environmental toolbox talks is very beneficial. Many environmental incidents can be prevented by efficient planning environmental concerns.
If you are looking for a range of ready to deliver toolbox talks, then our you might be interested in our range of toolbox talks included in our toolbox talk packages.
