In your daily toolbox talks and safety meetings, you may wonder if your colleagues are listening, engaged or whether they have zoned out!
As a safety professional, it’s your responsibility to keep your colleagues informed and up-to-date with their training. However, sometimes you might feel that you don’t always have their full attention, or that, when fulfilling their daily tasks, they’re not putting into practice the training you’re giving them.
One way to deal with this is by choosing monthly workplace safety topics. This can be a great way to engage your team because there is seasonality to safety meetings.
For example, there is little point in creating a talk on safety rules and effective PPE (personal protective equipment) in the snow, while your team is working in the heat of the summer. It’s not relevant, and will likely be forgotten by the time the winter comes around.
A more effective way of training is by providing the relevant snow training in the late autumn or winter. This way, you’ll be helping your colleagues put into practice what they’re learning which will, in turn, aid retention and drive safety awareness.
Below, we’ll take a look at why choosing monthly topics for meetings is important, how they can lead to better learning retention, and where to find inspiration.
Where to find inspiration for your monthly safety topics
There are plenty of safety meeting topics to be covered, but you might be unsure of where to start. Follow these tips for inspiration.
Articles
Start by following some key safety websites or blogs. Many of these websites (such as SafetyStage) post regular articles covering a wide range of topics. This can include everything from equipment safety and fall protection guidelines to lockout procedures, and choosing the right tool for the job. Most importantly, these articles often include links to free downloads and resources for safety leaders, which can help you save time preparing for your safety moment.
All of the articles we list below focus only on relevant training for that particular month or season. They also include a safety calendar in each, allowing you to keep on top of any upcoming or current awareness days, events, conferences, or safety observances.
Videos
Interestingly, video websites and apps such as YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok can help, too. Here, you’ll find recorded safety meetings, scenarios and reconstructions, and even the latest guidance from bodies such as the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Instead of speaking through your safety briefings, try a combination of delivery methods. Perhaps workplace safety games, videos of funny safety moments, or sharing safety leadership quotes can help to inspire your team.
Official resources
As the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA is the ultimate authority on safety at work. So, it goes without saying that the OSHA website is full of the latest information, guidelines, and free safety resources for safety professionals. Their guidance also regularly involves toolbox topics, virtual tools, and reference materials.
Besides OSHA, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics can also be a source of topic inspiration. They have information on the latest industry insights, productivity costs, and geographic information. For example, if locally there is an increase in accidents such as falls, or workers across the country were struggling with the heat, this may give you something to bring up and address in your next safety meeting.
Conclusion
So, we’ve managed to cover everything from why you should choose monthly safety topics for your meetings to where to find inspiration. Remember that one of the keys to successful staff training is learning retention. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time!
One way to increase retention is to keep your topics relevant to the current working environment and appropriate hazards of the day, month, or season. Not only will you get more ears to listen, but your workplace will be safer for everyone.
