Safety talks by month
April safety topics for plants and warehouses
April's observance is about driving, and in a plant the driving that matters most is on a lift truck. Use the month to talk about eyes on the path, in the aisle and on the road. April 28 is Workers' Memorial Day. The injury summary comes down after the 30th, and yard and grounds work starts again.
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Print 30 toolbox talks, one page each
For plants and warehouses, with a sign-in sheet. Free after one short form.
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April dates and observances
Only observances confirmed on the organiser's own page are listed, each with its owner and a link. Where a date moves from year to year, the year is given. Check the source before you print a calendar.
Where the dates fall in April
Distracted Driving Awareness Month
All of April
Workers' Memorial Day
April 28
OSHA Form 300A posting ends
April 30
Days it can fall onDate set by the organiser each year
Distracted Driving Awareness Month
When: All of April
Who runs it: National Safety Council
Written for road driving. The same point applies to anyone moving a truck through an aisle.
Source for Distracted Driving Awareness Month (opens in a new tab)
Workers' Memorial Day
When: April 28
Who runs it: Observed by OSHA
A day to remember workers who died on the job. Keep that morning's talk short and serious.
OSHA Form 300A posting ends
When: April 30
Who runs it: OSHA
The summary posted since February 1 can come down after this date.
8 safety talks for April
Each talk gives the hazard, words a supervisor can say at the start of a shift, one question to put to the crew, and the rule or guidance it rests on. Say it in your own words and wait for an answer to the question.
1. Screens on a moving lift truck
The hazard: A phone, a scanner or a pick list pulls a driver's eyes off the aisle. OSHA requires the driver to look in the direction of travel and keep a clear view of the path.
What to say: Stop the truck before you look at a phone, a scanner screen or paperwork. Eyes stay on the path whenever the truck is moving.
Ask the crew: What takes your eyes off the aisle most often while you drive?
2. Calls at the wheel
The hazard: Anyone who drives for work, or to work, gets calls at the wheel. The National Safety Council's message this month is that hands-free is not distraction-free.
What to say: If I call and you are driving, let it ring and call back when you are parked. I will do the same for you.
Ask the crew: Who calls or messages you while you drive, and what would get them to stop?
Source: National Safety Council, Distracted Driving Awareness Month (opens in a new tab)
3. Horn and speed at cross aisles
The hazard: Rack ends, strip curtains and stacked pallets hide people until the last second. OSHA requires drivers to slow down and sound the horn at cross aisles and other places where vision is obstructed.
What to say: Slow down and sound the horn at every blind corner, every time. If you are on foot, stop at the rack end and look before you step out.
Ask the crew: Which corner here has had the most close calls?
4. Workers' Memorial Day
The hazard: April 28 is Workers' Memorial Day. OSHA marks it to remember workers who died from a workplace incident, illness or disease.
What to say: Take a minute today for the people who did not go home from a job. Then tell me the one hazard in your area that you think could kill someone.
Ask the crew: What is the most serious hazard here that we have got used to?
5. Your part in the emergency plan
The hazard: People changed jobs and areas over the winter. OSHA requires the emergency action plan to be reviewed with each employee when their responsibilities under it change or the plan itself changes.
What to say: This is your exit, your assembly point and the person who counts you. If you moved departments since the last drill, your answers changed.
Ask the crew: Where is your assembly point, and who counts you there?
6. Ticks on yard and grounds work
The hazard: Fence lines, drainage ditches and trailer lots put people in grass and brush as it warms up. NIOSH says ticks are active in spring, summer and fall.
What to say: If you work the yard edge, use an EPA-registered repellent and check your skin and clothes every day. Remove a tick with fine-tipped tweezers and tell me.
Ask the crew: Who here works in grass or brush, and how often?
Source: NIOSH, Tick-borne Diseases and Outdoor Workers (opens in a new tab)
7. Know the alarm when you hear it
The hazard: A plant is full of horns, machine alarms and break buzzers. OSHA requires an employee alarm system that uses a distinctive signal for each purpose.
What to say: This is what our evacuation alarm sounds like. If you cannot hear it at your station with hearing protection on, tell me today.
Ask the crew: Where in the building is the alarm hardest to hear?
8. Aisle lines after the spring clean
The hazard: Spring is when floors are scrubbed and the worn lines show. OSHA requires aisles and passageways to be kept clear and in good repair, and permanent aisles to be appropriately marked.
What to say: The line is the edge of the aisle. Nothing parks on it or over it, even for a minute. Show me where the paint has worn away.
Ask the crew: Where do pallets or carts creep into the aisle on your shift?
A week-by-week plan for April
One way to spread the talks over the month. It is an example order, so move a talk when your own shutdown, weather or shift pattern says it belongs in a different week.
| Week | Talks | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Distracted Driving Awareness Month opens. | |
| Week 2 | Both are about the same aisles, from the seat and on foot. | |
| Week 3 | Ahead of storm season and the summer hires. | |
| Week 4 | April 28 falls in the last week, and yard work is under way. |
Safety topics for every month
The year by month, with the hazards each month's talks are built around. For talks sorted by length and by workplace, go to the safety topics library.
The year in safety talks
Guides that go with these talks
FAQ
April safety topics, answered
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, run by the National Safety Council. Workers' Memorial Day is April 28.
April 28 each year. OSHA observes it to remember workers who died on the job.
After April 30. Under 29 CFR 1904.32 it stays posted from February 1 to April 30 of the year after the one it covers.
Print 30 toolbox talks, one page each
For plants and warehouses, with a sign-in sheet. Free after one short form.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
See it on your own safety routine
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