Why Don’t Most Employees Listen During A Safety Meeting – 10/06/2020

Safety E-QuickTips

U.S. Compliance Systems, Inc.

Tuesday October 6, 2020

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Why Don’t Most Employees Listen During a Safety Meeting?

Safety meetings, toolbox talks, tailgate meeting or whatever you call them have been taking place for years. (To keep things simple, I’ll refer to them as safety meetings from this point on.)

And if you’ve been around long enough you’ve probably heard hundreds of them.

But how many safety meetings have you really listened to?

And no, I’m not talking about just being present, looking at your cell phone or talking under your breath to a coworker.I mean really listened to the point that you had a clear understanding of the hazards and how to prevent them.

For most of you I bet it’s very few.

Now, before anyone gets too defensive, I need you to understand that I believe there are some employers that have done a good job at putting on safety meetings and there are some employees who have really listened.

And if you are one of those, I want to congratulate you for doing a good job.

But the question today is why don’t most employees listen during a safety meeting?

Maybe it’s because they find some safety meetings:

• Are too long
• Get off on issues that don’t include safety
• Are not relevant to the work being performed
• Are too complicated
• Are just boring

Those are some of the reasons I’ve heard over the years.So, let’s talk about what makes a good safety meeting.

First, I’ll give my definition of a good safety meeting. A good safety meeting has happened when an employee is faced with a workplace hazard and they remember how they were advised to handle or eliminate the hazard.They then do what is necessary to protect everyone from the hazard.

And for a good safety meeting to take place it requires the employer to prepare a meeting that is about 5-10 minutes long, talks about a specific hazard relevant to the work being performed, and provides the opportunity for employee involvement.

A good safety meeting also requires employees to listen to what is being said, get involved in the meeting by asking questions or through discussion, and then use the information to protect themselves and others when faced with a hazard.

I hope you will do your part this week and in the future to help ensure your company’s safety meetings are good ones.

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Thanks for Reading and Please – Stay Healthy and Work Safe This Week!