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Toolbox Talk

Stay out of the line of fire around equipment and loads

A quick talk for crews working around moving equipment, trucks, cranes, loads, and overhead work.

For Equipment, rigging, and field crews
Stay out of the line of fire around equipment and loads — construction crew safety meeting
Run it before the work starts

Here’s the conversation to have.

People get hurt around equipment when they assume the operator sees them, the load will stay put, or the work area is clear enough. Don’t assume any of it. Make the travel path, swing radius, blind spots, and no-go areas plain before anything starts moving.

If somebody needs to step into the path of equipment or under a load, the movement stops first. The operator, spotter, and worker all need to be on the same page before it starts again. There is no production gain worth standing in the wrong place.

Before you turn the crew loose

What needs to be checked.

  • Mark the travel paths, swing radius, blind spots, and areas nobody is allowed to be in.
  • Keep people clear of suspended loads and out from under overhead work.
  • Use a spotter, barricade, signs, and a clear stop signal where the job calls for it.
  • Tie off or secure tools and material overhead so they do not come down on somebody below.
Ask the crew

Don’t just read it. Get an answer.

1. Where can the operator not see you on this job?
2. What areas stay empty while the equipment or load is moving?
3. What is the stop signal, and who has the authority to use it?
Reference material

Use these when you need the rule or want to dig deeper.

This is a starting point for the tailgate talk. The crew, the equipment, and the job conditions in front of you decide what has to happen next.