7 Toolbox Talk Formats (With Ready To

Use Examples)
There are 7 formats that are commonly used to give toolbox talks - informal
chats, safety briefings, handouts, presentations, demonstrations, videos and
software. Some are quicker to get started than others, some do the hard work
for you, and some need a bit of preparation.
 There are 7 formats that are commonly used to give toolbox talks, some are

quicker to get started than others, some do the hard work for you, and some

need a bit more preparation.

The toolbox talk formats are:

1. Informal Chat
2. Safety Briefing
3. Handouts
4. Presentation
5. Demonstration
6. Video
7. Online App or Software

These different formats range in their complexity, from a simple discussion to

a more technical solution. Some require a bit more preparation than others,

while other format types are more interactive.

We will list the strengths and weaknesses of each format, and give an example

to see how the same toolbox talk would be delivered in each style, so you can

decide which format will work best for you. You might even decide to use a

combination of formats!

Informal Chat
 Putting the talk into your toolbox talks, an informal chat is a way to raise a

health and safety topic or subject with a group or even an individual worker.

This is one of the easiest ways to start a toolbox talk because it's just a

discussion.

Toolbox talks delivered in the form of an informal chat are:

 Quick
 Easy to start
 Reduced preparation
In the informal chat example above you can see how straightforward it is

to start a toolbox talk in this way, it's as easy as starting a conversation.

This type of toolbox talk is simply that, a conversation.

The advantages of an informal chat are that it is quick and easy to start, and

doesn't require much preparation. You can talk about a topic that is highly

relevant because you can focus on something they are currently doing or

about to do.

The weaknesses of an informal chat are that it can be quite a time-consuming

job to give an effective toolbox talk in this way. You might have lot's of

different chats with different groups or individuals, and cover different points

with each person.

Because these chats are unprepared, if you have not done any research, you

might not have all the facts and figures fresh in your mind, which means

questions can go unanswered.

Due to their informal nature, it's hard to keep a record of what was covered in

the chat, so knowing who has covered what becomes difficult.

Safety Briefing
 One step up from an informal chat, a safety briefing is a way of delivering your

toolbox talk in a slightly more formal format. You might include this briefing

when everyone signs in to the site, at morning break, at a weekly meeting, or

another time when most of the team is together.

The benefits of using safety briefings to deliver toolbox talks are that they are:

 Regular
 Organised
 Recorded
In this example safety briefing format, you can see how a clear agenda

can help structure your toolbox talk and provide a record of what was

covered and who attended.

If you set aside a regular slot for your safety briefings, they become part of the

work routine which can mean people become more engaged- if they cover the

right content and are well prepared.

It can be tempting to rush through safety briefings because they are usually

itemised by a few bullet points. While more structured than an informal chat,

they suffer some of the same faults, in that, if you are not prepared, the talk is

not going to be very valuable.

A bland list of dos and don'ts on a subject can be boring, but it takes time to

prepare an interesting talk covering all the important points.

Safety briefings tend to be better organised compared to informal chats,

because they are usually itemised and planned in advance, and it's easy to

keep a record of everyone in attendance.

Handouts
 Toolbox talk downloads or handouts are fully prepared for the topic you want

to cover. Forget memorising the subject or working off bullet points, you now

have all the information to hand when you need it.

Using this toolbox talk format is good because it:

 Is ready to use
 Covers all the key points
 Can be kept as a reminder
In the PPE toolbox talk handout example, you have a ready to use

document giving you the information you need to deliver the talk, and

also a handout that can be kept and read again by your team.

With handouts, you have your toolbox talk prepared beforehand, and when it

comes to delivering your talk, you are ready, with all the information you need

to make your workforce aware of. With this format, your team can listen to the

talk, and read the information, and keep the handout as a reminder.

While toolbox talk handouts are a great way to cover all the information

needed for a subject, it takes time to prepare the facts and format it in a way

that's clear and easy to understand if you are doing it yourself. You can save

time by using our ready to use toolbox talk templates.

This format of delivering toolbox talks shouldn't be used alone. For example,

don't give out your handouts and forget about it. Have workers read the

information, and do they understand it? You need to talk to your team about

the content of the talk and give them chance to ask any questions.

Presentation
 Go one step up and show off your powerpoint skills! You could display

informational slides or images to deliver your message. You don't even need a

laptop, you could use whiteboard or projector to show your slides.

With toolbox talk presentations you can:

 Use prompts
 Add visual elements
 Deliver to bigger groups

In the presentation example above, the same PPE toolbox talk can be

communicated to a bigger team. You can make presentations even more

interesting by adding images, backgrounds and other visual elements

that make the talk more interesting.

Rather than having to take all the information in from a handout, you can

guide your team through key points in your presentation. Use bullet points or

slides as prompts and expand on them to answer questions and address site-

specific considerations or concerns.

Presentations do have some weaknesses, however, because you need the

equipment to create and deliver them. This can prevent them from being

useful in more remote environments, such as smaller construction sites. Sure,

you can create your presentation from a laptop or even your smartphone, but

to display it to a team, you are going to need a big screen or projector.