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Civil Engineering & Construction vocabulary · Site Safety

Toolbox talk

Meaning in civil engineering & construction, with examples

nounCommon term

In civil engineering & construction, toolbox talk means: A short, informal safety meeting on site, usually at the start of a shift, about one specific hazard or task, such as lifting operations or hot weather.

In Turkish: işbaşı konuşması, işbaşı güvenlik toplantısı, toolbox toplantısı

How it is used

Foremen, supervisors or safety staff give or deliver toolbox talks in five to fifteen minutes, and attendance is recorded on a signed sheet. Topics often follow a recent incident or near miss.

Example sentences

  1. Today's toolbox talk is about working safely near the excavator.

  2. After the near miss, the safety officer gave a toolbox talk on dropped objects.

Common collocations

  • give a toolbox talk
  • deliver a toolbox talk
  • toolbox talk record
  • daily toolbox talk
  • near missAn unplanned event that could have caused injury or damage but did not, such as a tool falling close to a worker without hitting anyone.
  • risk assessmentA careful review of a task or work area to identify hazards, judge how likely and how serious harm could be, and decide on control measures; also the document that records this.
  • foremanAn experienced tradesperson who leads a team of workers on site, plans their daily tasks and makes sure the work is done properly and safely.
  • PPEPersonal protective equipment: the items workers wear to protect themselves from injury, such as a hard hat, safety boots, a high-visibility vest, gloves and goggles.

More terms: Site Safety

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