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SAFETY MOMENT, JANUARY 6

File cabinets, shelves and reaching high

See today's safety momentHow to give a safety moment

Safety moment, January 6

File cabinets, shelves and reaching high

Offices feel safe, so hazards are easy to ignore. Trips over cords and boxes, falls from chairs used as ladders, tipping file cabinets and blocked exits can all hurt people who work at a desk. A few small habits go a long way.

SAFETY MOMENT

January 6

The hazard

Offices feel safe, so hazards are easy to ignore. Trips over cords and boxes, falls from chairs used as ladders, tipping file cabinets and blocked exits can all hurt people who work at a desk. A few small habits go a long way.

The action

Open one file drawer at a time and close it when you are done, so the cabinet does not tip and nobody walks into an open drawer. Keep heavy items on lower shelves, and stack boxes so they are stable and secure against sliding or collapse. To reach something high, use a step stool or a ladder, never a chair, especially one with wheels. (29 CFR 1910.176(b))

ASK THE CREW

Are any cords here running across walkways or under rugs?

From the talk: Office safety. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

PRINT AND EDIT

365 safety moments, $29

One moment for every day of the year in the same format as this one: the hazard, the action, the question and the source talk with its citation. Print a page a day or show a slide.

  • 365 safety moments, one per day
  • Dated PDF calendar, a page a day
  • PowerPoint with one slide per moment
  • English and Spanish
  • Each moment links back to its cited toolbox talk

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Free 52-week toolbox talk calendar (PDF)