Communication failure toolbox talk
Read it out at the pre-start or a toolbox meeting, talk through the questions, and have everyone sign on. It's built from our communication failure page and the 199 SafetyDocs templates that cover it.
- Site
- Date
- Presented by
What it is
Lost or unclear communication between workers, standby people and supervisors that delays a warning, help or rescue.
Controls to check, most effective first
- Agree a communication method before work starts, such as radios, hand signals or line signals, and test it at the work location.
- Confirm radios and phones have coverage and charged batteries, and provide a backup method where coverage is poor.
- Set check-in times for workers in confined spaces, remote areas or working alone, and act straight away if one is missed.
- Keep a standby person in constant contact with workers in confined spaces, without other duties that distract them.
- Brief all workers on agreed signals, emergency calls and who to contact at the start of each shift.
Questions for the crew
- Where could communication failure come up on this job today?
- The most effective control is: “Agree a communication method before work starts, such as radios, hand signals or line signals, and test it at the work location”. Can we do that here? If not, why not?
- Which controls for communication failure are missing or not working on this site?
- When would you stop work because of communication failure, and who would you tell?
- How do we report a hazard, a near miss or an incident on this job?
Sign-on record
Everyone who attended signs below. Keep it with your toolbox talk records.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
A starting point for a talk, not a SWMS or a risk assessment. Add what's particular to your site and crew.