Short answer
A 1-minute safety topic is one hazard, one thing to do and one question. It fits inside the huddle you already hold. The 20 talks below are each tied to a single OSHA paragraph, so there is one rule to remember and nothing else.
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A one-minute talk does one job. It puts one rule back in front of people on the day they need it.
Each talk below has four parts and about a minute of speaking: roughly 10 seconds on the hazard, 30 on the one thing to do, 15 on a question and 5 on the rule. The split is our pacing guide, not a requirement from any standard.
A minute is a reminder. It is not training. Anything new, such as a chemical, a machine or a layout, needs one of the 5-minute safety topics and whatever training the standard requires. For a year of weekly meeting openers, see the 52 safety moments. These 20 are written for a crew standing on the floor.
Say the hazard, say the one thing, ask the question. The rule links to the standard on osha.gov.
Slow down and sound the horn at every cross aisle and anywhere you cannot see what is coming.
Nobody stands or walks under raised forks, whether there is a load on them or not.
Look in the direction you are travelling and keep a clear view of the path. If you cannot see, stop.
Unauthorized people do not ride on a powered truck. Walk it.
Face the ladder going up and coming down.
Keep at least one hand on the ladder while you climb, and do not carry anything that could make you lose your balance.
A ladder is not moved, shifted or extended while someone is on it. Climb down first.
A plug is never altered to defeat the ground, and an adapter that breaks the ground connection is not used. That cord comes out of service.
Cords are not used to raise or lower equipment. Look the cord over before you use it on any shift.
The working space in front of the panel is not storage. For equipment at 600 volts or less the rule asks for at least 3 feet of depth, up to 4 feet for some layouts, and a width of 30 inches or the width of the equipment, whichever is greater.
Labels on incoming containers are not removed or defaced. If one is unreadable, stop and tell me.
Do a user seal check every time you put on a tight-fitting respirator.
A tight-fitting respirator is not worn with facial hair between the sealing surface and your face.
Hands and fingers stay out from between the sling and the load while the sling is being tightened.
Everyone stays clear of a load that is about to be lifted and clear of a suspended load.
A door that could be mistaken for an exit is marked Not an Exit, or with a sign that says what it is.
Stored material must not create a hazard. Tiers are stacked, blocked, interlocked and limited in height so they stay stable.
Keep at least 18 inches of clear space between the sprinklers and whatever is stored below them.
Where hearing protection is required, you get to choose from a variety of suitable protectors. If yours hurts or will not stay in, ask for another type.
| Situation | What to use |
|---|---|
| A reminder of a rule the crew already knows | A 1-minute talk |
| Something new: a chemical, a machine or a layout | A 5-minute talk, plus the training the standard requires |
| An injury or a near miss this week | A 5-minute talk, given at the spot where it happened |
| The huddle is already running long | A 1-minute talk. Keep the question, cut everything else |
| Skills such as lockout, forklift driving or wearing a respirator | Training. A talk does not teach a skill |
Illustrative example
This example is made up. A distribution centre holds its huddle at 6:00 with 11 pickers and 3 drivers. The lead gives Horn at the cross aisle, standing at the end of aisle 14.
She asks which corner people cannot see around. Two pickers name the same one, by the battery room. She writes it on the board and asks maintenance to look at a mirror for that corner. The talk takes 55 seconds.
Next morning she opens by asking what yesterday's topic was. Three people say the horn. One driver says he used it at the battery room corner and a picker stepped back.
A talk ends with a hazard someone has to fix. In LeanSuite that hazard gets an owner and stays open until it is closed.
FAQ
A rule that fits in one sentence: sound the horn at cross aisles, nobody under raised forks, face the ladder, keep the panel clear, the label stays on, seal check every time, hands out of the sling. Twenty are scripted on this page.
For a reminder of a rule people already know, yes. For anything new, no. A new chemical, machine or layout needs a longer talk and the training the standard requires.
Give one a day, at the place where the hazard is if you can. Ask the question and wait for an answer. Twenty talks cover four working weeks. Then start again and change each question to fit what you saw that week.
No. The OSHA standards for forklifts, lockout, respirators and hazard communication each set their own training requirements. A short talk reminds people of that training. It does not replace it.
They are close. A safety moment is usually a short opener for any meeting, on the floor or in the office. The topics here are written for a crew standing at the job, and each one is tied to a single OSHA paragraph.
One page per talk: the hazard, what to say, a question for the crew and the OSHA rule. The last page is a sign-in sheet.
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