As heralded by the UK Materials Handling Association (UKHMA) in this year’s extended National Forklift Safety Day campaign, making every day a forklift safety day requires ongoing commitment. Rosie Clifford asks safety professionals how the humble toolbox talk can contribute to the process.

“A safety culture must start at the top and work its way through the system with continuity to be effective. However, fully engaged management really helps.” 

They may be brief and informal, but toolbox talks can be an effective tool for managing safety within fast-moving materials handling operations.

But what are the components of an effective talk? And how do you ensure your team is engaged in the process?

I talked to safety professionals at IKEA, Amazon and Bisedge about their experiences with toolbox talks and for their tips on achieving accountability and buy-in from employees.

Topics covered: 

Mick Dumbarton, a safety and security manager working in the United Kingdom for IKEA Distribution Services, uses local examples of what can go wrong, often citing news reports of safety incidents.

“I do regular toolbox talks on materials handling equipment and pedestrian safety and base them on case studies of real incident reports that have happened. To make them feel relevant I find the more local the incident to our site the better.”

Bukes Saliu, a safety compliance officer at African logistics services provider Bisedge, also uses toolbox talks to discuss a range of topics around incidents and near misses as well as reflecting on lessons learned.

She explains that when sourcing topics her company uses a multifaceted approach, “we have a six-month schedule for regular talks to reinforce safety messages and address specific hazards. Whenever there is an issue in a particular location, we use it as a topic and add it to the list for others to learn from.” 

Bukes provides the following list as an example of topics: 

♦ Safety managers: share your practical toolbox talk tips for Forkliftaction readers! 

Keeping people accountable:

Bukes says that asking team members to acknowledge accountability is a regular part of their safety management process. She explains that after her team finalises and schedules the topics, they are then shared with the site supervisors to ensure the talk is taken across all shifts. 

Everyone who participates in a talk must sign an attendance sheet for accountability, “when the site supervisors send in their health and safety executive (HSE) report for the week the signed toolbox attendance is also attached so we know that everyone received the information”.   

Darren Jackson, a materials handling equipment trainer working in England for Amazon, says his team also uses a multi-pronged approach to safety and takes active measures to ensure the accountability of warehouse workers for talks given about incidents. 

“Frequent safety briefs are given at the start of shift, usually verbally, by each manager. If the brief is in response to a particular accident or incident, those who it applies to are asked to sign a form to acknowledge they have received the information.”

In addition to this process, Darren explains that safety tests provide extra accountability for those working with equipment, “a yearly powered industrial truck (PIT) safety test is given, this is devised on a European scale and is mandatory to pass every year to continue to operate any PIT. We have a team who set the questions. Buying into the process is an individual thing, each person has a responsibility to keep themselves and everyone safe.”

Encouraging engagement: 

According to Mick, the key to getting staff engagement with his toolbox talks lies in making them relevant and personal. He finds tying the outcome of an incident to how it could affect life outside of work is a powerful message and seems to hit home “especially when you talk about the impact of the incident on the children of those affected, marital relationships and holidays and how the everyday activities that we all take for granted can be impacted as well”.

“One of the most powerful examples was a case where a woman was struck by a forklift who eventually lost a leg due to the incident. However, I've used other cases where the seatbelt was reported not to be worn or instructions not followed. I always finish by talking about the effects of the incident to the wider community - families, friends, etc,” he shares.

Bukes encourages engagement by inviting forklift operators to actively take the lead on toolbox talks, “I came up with an idea for every one of the operators to lead a toolbox talk. We assign a topic to every operator, which means they must take ownership” she says.

“So, when it's your turn, you handle the talk and facilitate that discussion. That way everyone is actively involved, and safety becomes everybody’s reality.”

Making it personal:

Within their treatment of toolbox talks Mick and Bukes both expressed the importance of making safety personal and drawing attention to the devastating lifelong repercussions of accidents and incidents. 

Bukes encapsulates the interplay between safe practices at work and fostering positive personal relationships beautifully:

A safety culture is not just about rules and regulations; it's about creating an environment where people genuinely care about each other's wellbeing.

It's built on: 

Empathy: Understanding that everyone has families, friends and loved ones who depend on them.
Respect: Valuing each person's life and dignity.
Trust: Believing in each other's commitment to safety.
Open communication: Encouraging honest feedback and active listening.
Accountability: Taking ownership of actions and learning from mistakes.
Caring: Showing compassion and support when incidents occur. 

To foster this culture:

Lead by example: Demonstrate a commitment to safety from top-level management.
Engage employees: Involve them in safety decisions and encourage participation.
Provide training: Educate on safety procedures and the importance of a safety culture.
Recognise and reward: Acknowledge and celebrate safety achievements.
Continuously improve: Regularly assess and refine safety protocols.

By cultivating a culture of love and respect, you'll create a workplace where people prioritise safety and genuinely look out for each other.

The insights shared by Mick, Darren and Bukes reveal that when used regularly and impactfully toolbox talks can generate engagement and accountability across the entire organisation while providing a way for both sides of management to take ownership of day-to-day safety in and around forklifts.

♦ Safety managers: share your practical toolbox talk tips for Forkliftaction readers!