Download Toolbox Talk 2004/2005

Toolbox
Talk
2006
A meeting of frontline workers and senior executives
www.safetystanddown.ca
Toolbox Talk—Intervention
What is a safety intervention?

To involve oneself in an at-risk situation so as to alter or hinder an action or the
development if an incident or injury.

A safety intervention is action taken to prevent an injury or incident from occurring.
What is at-risk?

At-risk behavior is a behavior that exposes a worker to a potential injury. At-risk
condition is a condition with the potential to cause injury, property damage or process
failure.
Why intervene?

Every Employee has the right and duty to intervene

All Canadian OHS legislation requires employers to promote the right and the duty of
every employee to intervene in the interests of safety

An intervention process facilitates feedback

An intervention process is proactive
Benefits of intervention

Injury prevention

Incident prevention

Identification of at-risk behavior or condition

Fewer equipment damage incidents

Fewer material loss incidents

Completion of work or task on time and budget
Who should intervene?

All employees have the obligation to speak up when they identify an at-risk behavior
or condition

Employees in a leadership role need to be a role model; if an activity doesn’t look right
start to ask questions

Employees in a leadership role give silent consent when they ignore an at-risk
situation; they need to speak up

If employees don’t see leaders intervening they will not think it is important – if it is
important to the leader it will be important to the employee
How do you intervene?

Having the courage to stop at-risk situations is what is important:

Stress the friendly, helpful protective nature of the intervention

Interventions help each other – avoid personal criticism

Coach employees – don’t lecture, keep it short

Never ask for names

If discipline is attached to a safety intervention process employees will not intervene –
we don’t like to get our co-workers in trouble
Where?

Where at-risk behaviors and conditions exist; look for them in and on the usual places:
o
Vehicles and mobile equipment
o
Parking lots
o
offices, building and camps
o
drilling rigs, on service rigs, on well sites,
o
seismic operations
o
pipeline construction sites
When do you intervene?

When you see an at-risk behavior or condition:
o
Not wearing a seat belt
o
Talking on a cell phone while driving
o
When an employee is standing in the line of fire
o
When you see an at-risk condition
o
A vehicle parked without the park brake applied
o
Ice build up on a high pedestrian traffic path
o
An unsecured load of pipe on a trailer
Conclusion

Why wait until it’s too late…

Stop at-risk actions and conditions before injury or incidents occur

It is your duty and obligation to intervene on behalf of safety.
Follow-up notes
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