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SAFETY MOMENT, MAY 13

Back up slowly and get out and look

Safety moment, May 13

Back up slowly and get out and look

A truck is heavy, hard to stop and hard to see around. Drivers share yards and docks with forklifts and people on foot. A mistake with a brake, a chock or a load can hurt someone fast. Good habits at the dock and on the road keep drivers and everyone around them safe.

SAFETY MOMENT

May 13

The hazard

A truck is heavy, hard to stop and hard to see around. Drivers share yards and docks with forklifts and people on foot. A mistake with a brake, a chock or a load can hurt someone fast. Good habits at the dock and on the road keep drivers and everyone around them safe.

The action

Backing is a risky move. Walk around and check the path first. Use a spotter if you can, and agree on hand signals. If you lose sight of your spotter, stop. Sound the horn and use your mirrors and cameras. Slow down and sound the horn where vision is blocked. (29 CFR 1910.178(n)(4))

ASK THE CREW

How do we plan a trip so we are not rushed or tired?

From the talk: Truck driver 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)