Safety First News
Do Toolbox Talks Work At All? The Data Is In
August 6, 2017
Toolbox talks, also known as tailgate meetings or safety briefings, are typically short-duration, pre-shift safety meetings on a specific topic. Used by any industry, but perhaps most popular in the construction industry, toolbox talks are a way for workers to refresh safety knowledge as related to the work that lies ahead. Toolbox talks can occur daily, weekly, monthly or as needed.
Toolbox talks certainly can’t hurt, but do they actually work? Is there tangible value in investing 15 to 30 minutes or so daily to discuss a specific aspect of safety?
According to the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the answer is a resounding, “Yes,” and there is data to back up that answer.
In its recently released 2017 Safety Performance Report, ABC says there is data to show fewer incidents for companies that conduct daily toolbox talks than those that conduct them on a weekly or monthly basis. In fact, the ABC report says companies that conduct toolbox talks only monthly have a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) more than four times higher than companies that hold toolbox talks on a daily basis.
ABC’s study was based on data collected from its member companies, which included over one billion hours of work in construction, heavy construction, specialty trades and civil engineering. Thirty-five (35) data points were tracked to ascertain correlation between use of leading indicators and the resulting lagging indicator performance (lagging indicators were measured by TRIR data and DART data –Days Away and Restricted or Transferred rate). The study used a statistically valid methodology, which was developed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for use on its annual Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Survey.
Although the use of toolbox talks was never necessarily seen as a bad thing, there is now finally a study to show tangible benefit from the use of frequent toolbox talks. Using relevant toolbox talks in a way that involves and engages workers on a daily basis appears to be time well spent.