TOOL BOX MEETING

Jonathan Real
DOLE-BWC Accredited OSH Practitioner
 CONTENTS

• Types of Safety Meetings

• Elements of Safety Meetings
• The Tool Box Meeting (TBM)
• Effective Tool Box Meetings
• Suggested TBM Topics
• Written Examinations
 Types of Safety Meetings
• Executive meeting
• Departmental meeting
• Mass meeting
• Small group meeting
 The Executive
Meeting
• Team members:
– Operating executives
– Supervisors
• Nature of Discussion & Purpose:
– Strategic, to formulate policies
– Initiate safety program
– Plan special activities
• Frequency & Duration:
– Periodic (every 2 months, quarterly, etc.)
– 1 to 2 hours or per staff agreement
 The Departmental
Meeting
• Team members:
– Department head
– Department team players/supervisors
• Discussion Nature & Purpose:
– Semi-strategic to tactical
– To discuss special problems
– Plan campaigns
– Analyze accidents
• Frequency & Duration:
– Monthly
– One (1) hour
 The Mass Meeting
• Team members:
– Top executive and all staff
– All employees, including families
• Discussion Nature & Purpose:
– Festive & per occasion’s program
– Special – launching of contest, safety record
celebration, presentation of awards, change of
company policy, etc.
• Frequency & Duration:
– Occasional
– Half day to whole day affair
 Small Group Meeting
• Team members:
– Team leader (manager, supervisor, foreman)
– All team members doing same or similar work
nature or function
• Discussion Nature & Purpose:
– Tactical, day-to-day items and details
– Discuss specific safety topics (accident causes,
safety problems, tactics, etc.)
• Frequency & Duration:
– Regular – every shift, daily and weekly
– Between 10 to 30 minutes per session
 The Tool Box
Meeting (TBM)
Tool box meeting
• Classification – small group meeting
• Common use – construction jobs
• Nature of discussion – tactical
• Conducted – 10 min before work start
• Intervals – depending on job hazards,
accident frequency and/or safety problem
occurrence; more = more!
 Effective Tool
Box Meetings
The TBM requires effective skills of communication:
• Choose only 1 – 2 topics for discussion
• Base topic selection on current needs
• Keep discussion focused on chosen topic
• Encourage questions and give straight to the point
answers to end up in time
• Vary approach every meeting to maintain workers
interest (“what’s new” vs. “again?”)
 SUGGESTED TBM TOPICS
• Previous & most recent accident –
investigation results & conclusion
• Safety precautions for work to be done during
the work period/shift
• Safety problems recently encountered to
emphasize resolution/precautions
• Special topics – announcement of safety
contests, awards, records, etc.
 REMEMBER

• A 10 to 15 minute TBM can go a long way to emphasize

safety measures and help improve safety awareness
• Never take TBM for granted; it is a very good tool –
both of transparency & sincerity
• Never assume that workers already know what will be
discussed in your TBM
• Keeping TBMs alive as well as lively is your challenge!