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SAFETY MOMENT, OCTOBER 22

Agree on signals before the work starts

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Safety moment, October 22

Agree on signals before the work starts

A lot of the safety on a job depends on messages getting through: the morning plan, a shouted warning, a hand signal to an operator, a tag on a switch, a label on a drum. On a crew that speaks more than one language, any of those messages can get lost without anyone noticing. A nod does not always mean someone understood. Clear communication is a safety control, just like a guard or a harness.

SAFETY MOMENT

October 22

The hazard

A lot of the safety on a job depends on messages getting through: the morning plan, a shouted warning, a hand signal to an operator, a tag on a switch, a label on a drum. On a crew that speaks more than one language, any of those messages can get lost without anyone noticing. A nod does not always mean someone understood. Clear communication is a safety control, just like a guard or a harness.

The action

Hand signals and radio calls only work if everyone means the same thing. On crane work, the operator, signal person and lift director (if there is one) must be able to effectively communicate in the language used. For any equipment, agree on the signals with the operator before work starts, and do not switch to new ones partway through the job. (29 CFR 1926.1421(c))

ASK THE CREW

What is our stop word and stop signal, and does everyone here know it in English and Spanish?

From the talk: Safety communication on mixed-language crews. 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.

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