When you think of “safety meetings,” you might picture standing in front of the room, droning on and on about safe driving, first aid or proper equipment handling. But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Safety meetings cover topics of importance to the health and well-being of your employees. You can take these opportunities to address hazards to reduce injuries that might arise in the field or shop. In addition to giving you or your foremen a chance to talk about safety, it gives your employees an opportunity to bring up any safety concerns they may have.
Here are five tips to help you plan for your next safety meeting.
- Hold mandatory meetings regularly. Whether you decide to hold meetings monthly, bimonthly or even weekly, make sure you keep a regular schedule. A regular meeting gives everyone the opportunity to get on the same page.
- Focus on one topic per meeting. Decide on the topic you want or need to discuss. It might be something your employees are struggling with, something you’ve heard a lot of questions about recently, something new to your company, new regulations or even something seasonal.
- Do your research. Once you’ve selected the focus for your meeting, learn more about it. Do you know the topic well? Is there something that needs to be addressed? Does OSHA have particular requirements? If there are certain procedures that must be followed, especially if the practices are new to your company, bring handouts so employees can refer to it later.
- Don’t just talk at your employees—engage them! Get their attention at the beginning, and keep it for the length of your meeting. If you want to use a video, search your topic on YouTube for videos that are funny, educational or both. Come up with a game or activity that meeting participants can do to help them remember the safety information discussed. Do a hands-on demonstration of the safe habit you’re trying to convey. You can even hold a question and answer session at the end so that everyone has a contribute and have their voice heard.
- Keep it short. You don’t want to bore your employees or take away precious time in the field. These meetings are important, but they don't have to be long. Even if you only have 15 minutes before your staff needs to hit the road to get to their jobsite, you can cover a lot of important information to keep them safe.
Plan your next safety meeting, and let your employees know you care about their health and safety on the job! Let us know how your next (or first!) safety meeting goes by leaving a comment below with your successes and struggles.
