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SAFETY MOMENT, DECEMBER 21

Do not rush the last jobs before the break

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Safety moment, December 21

Do not rush the last jobs before the break

The holidays bring deadlines, short days, cold weather, parties, travel and a lot on everyone's mind. Rushing to finish before the break can lead to skipped steps. Decorations, extra deliveries, cords and ladders show up in places they normally are not. OSHA has no specific standard for holiday safety; the general duty to train still applies.

SAFETY MOMENT

December 21

The hazard

The holidays bring deadlines, short days, cold weather, parties, travel and a lot on everyone's mind. Rushing to finish before the break can lead to skipped steps. Decorations, extra deliveries, cords and ladders show up in places they normally are not. OSHA has no specific standard for holiday safety; the general duty to train still applies.

The action

Year-end deadlines can push people to cut corners. Plan the last week so nobody is racing the clock on a ladder, a lift or a forklift. Stress and short sleep make it worse, so look out for each other and speak up when you see someone skipping a step. If a task cannot be done safely before the break, it waits.

ASK THE CREW

What jobs are we tempted to rush before the break, and how do we slow them down?

From the talk: Holiday 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.

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