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Toolbox Talk

Walk the job site before the work starts

A five-minute walk-around makes today’s changed conditions visible before the crew gets busy.

For Construction, landscaping, maintenance, utility, and field-service crews
Walk the job site before the work starts — construction crew safety meeting
Run it before the work starts

Here’s the conversation to have.

Yesterday’s plan does not show what changed overnight. A delivery may be in the way, another crew may be working nearby, or a route may no longer be clear. Start by walking the job site together before the work spreads out. Look at access, traffic, stored material, overhead work, utilities, weather, and the work sequence. Point out the change and decide the control while everyone is there. Foremen: keep the walk-around short and specific. The goal is not another meeting; it is catching one condition that can hurt somebody before it gets missed.

Before you turn the crew loose

What needs to be checked.

  • Walk access routes, work areas, and equipment approaches before the shift starts
  • Check for changes in traffic, other trades, deliveries, weather, and stored material
  • Assign an owner for every correction found
  • Mark or block hazards until the correction is complete
  • Repeat the walk-around when the work plan changes
Ask the crew

Don’t just read it. Get an answer.

1. What changed on this job site since the last shift?
2. Which change could affect another crew or pedestrian?
3. What correction needs to happen before work begins?
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.