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SAFETY MOMENT, SEPTEMBER 10

Run heaters safely

Safety moment, September 10

Run heaters safely

Fall brings shorter days, cold mornings, warm afternoons and wet, slippery ground. The changes creep up on us, and we keep working like it is still summer. A few small adjustments keep the season's hazards from catching anyone off guard.

SAFETY MOMENT

September 10

The hazard

Fall brings shorter days, cold mornings, warm afternoons and wet, slippery ground. The changes creep up on us, and we keep working like it is still summer. A few small adjustments keep the season's hazards from catching anyone off guard.

The action

Temporary heaters come out as nights get colder. On construction sites, fresh air must be supplied in sufficient quantities to keep workers healthy and safe, with mechanical ventilation where natural fresh air is not enough. Never run fuel-burning heaters or engines in a closed space without ventilation, because carbon monoxide has no smell. (29 CFR 1926.154(a)(1))

ASK THE CREW

Where on our site does it get dark first, and is the lighting there good enough?

Takeaway: Fall changes the light, the ground and the weather, so change your habits with it.

From the talk: Fall season 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

Instant download. 30-day refund, no questions.

Free 52-week toolbox talk calendar (PDF)