Small Business Checklists - Sample Safety Meeting Minute Topics

What do people talk about at safety meetings?

General topics:

• What to do in case of a specific emergency -- fire, earthquake, chemical spill
• A "close call" someone reported. For example: a near-miss by a forklift
• How someone in the company got injured
• How someone in another company got injured
• How to keep the walkways clear and reduce clutter
• How to safely operate a new piece of equipment the company has just bought or leased.
• New hazards now that the season is changing -- rain, cold, heat, darkness
• How to predict an accident
• What would make these safety meetings more worth your time?
• Watching out for "road rage"
• Leaving work after dark
• Using a fire extinguisher
• Reporting unsafe conditions & near misses
• Using a cell phone while driving
• Proper lifting techniques
• Using the emergency eyewash
• Our Lock-Out/Tag-Out program
• Choosing proper eye protection
• Recognizing the effects of carbon monoxide
• Forklift-pedestrian safety
• Problems in using ladders
• Loading dock safety
• Stretching exercises to prevent injuries
• How loud is too loud?

Topics for Agriculture:

• PTO safety
• The pesticides we use here
• Preventing tractor overturns
• ROPS
• Personal cleanliness and basic sanitation
• Safe & healthy places to eat your lunch
• Electrical hazards
• Safe use of jacks
• Cold weather safety
• Hot weather safety
• Hazards in grain bins
• Lock-Out/Tag-Out before working on machines
• Safe handling of Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3)
• Refueling safety
• Tractors and highway safety

Topics for Construction:

• Choosing the right eye protection
• Traffic & pedestrian safety on the jobsite
• Staying within the limits of a extended reach forklift
• Eye hazards from laser equipment
• The top seven causes of lower back injuries
• The top five injuries from nail guns
• What's a rotator cuff, and why do they get torn?
• Injuries during the first and last hours of the day
• Making temporary walkways that are safe

Check out other ideas on the web:

• CDC/NIOSH (English & Spanish)
• Tool box topics
• University of Vermont
• WebWorldInc

Also: see ideas on "How To Reach The Employees"