Safety talks by month
February safety topics for plants and warehouses
February is still winter, but the calendar adds two things. It is American Heart Month, and the injury summary has to be on the wall from the first of the month. Crews are also deep into layers, wet gloves and dark starts. These eight talks cover a medical emergency on the floor, the posted summary, and the indoor housekeeping that slips by late winter.
Last reviewed:
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.
February 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 February
American Heart Month
All of February
National Wear Red Day
First Friday in February
OSHA Form 300A posting period
February 1 to April 30
Days it can fall onDate set by the organiser each year
American Heart Month
When: All of February
Who runs it: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and The Heart Truth
A good reason to rehearse what the crew does when someone collapses or has chest pain.
National Wear Red Day
When: First Friday in February
Who runs it: NHLBI and The Heart Truth
Part of American Heart Month. Give the heart attack talk that morning.
OSHA Form 300A posting period
When: February 1 to April 30
Who runs it: OSHA
Last year's injury and illness summary must be posted in a conspicuous place for the whole period.
Source for OSHA Form 300A posting period (opens in a new tab)
8 safety talks for February
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. Heart attack signs on the floor
The hazard: A heart attack can happen at work. NHLBI lists chest pain or heaviness, pain in the arm, back, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, sweating, unusual tiredness, nausea and light-headedness.
What to say: If you or a co-worker has these signs, call 9-1-1. NHLBI says to call even if you are not sure it is a heart attack. Then send someone to meet the ambulance at the gate.
Ask the crew: What is this building's street address, and which door would you send paramedics to?
2. Read the injury summary on the wall
The hazard: The Form 300A summary of last year's recordable injuries must be posted from February 1 to April 30. OSHA says it may not be altered, defaced or covered by other material.
What to say: That sheet by the time clock is last year's injuries at this site. Read it this week. If another notice gets pinned over it, tell me.
Ask the crew: Which of last year's injuries could still happen in your area today?
3. Exit route lighting on dark shifts
The hazard: A failed light on the way to an exit goes unnoticed until the route is needed in the dark. OSHA requires each exit route to be lit well enough that an employee with normal vision can see along it.
What to say: On your way out tonight, look at the lights along your exit route, including the stairwell and the landing outside. Report any that are out.
Ask the crew: Which stretch of your exit route is dimmest?
4. Can you reach the eyewash
The hazard: Overflow stock and carts drift in front of eyewash stations over the winter. Where eyes or body may be exposed to corrosive materials, OSHA requires flushing facilities within the work area for immediate emergency use.
What to say: Walk to your nearest eyewash now. If you have to step around anything to get there, move it before you go back to work.
Ask the crew: From your station, where is the nearest eyewash and what stands between you and it?
5. Battery charging area
The hazard: With the doors closed, the charging area gets less fresh air. OSHA requires ventilation there for fumes from gassing batteries and a way to flush and neutralize spilled electrolyte. Smoking is prohibited in the charging area.
What to say: Charge only in the marked area, and never smoke there. If the fan is off, stop charging and tell me.
Ask the crew: Where is the spill kit for the charging area?
6. PPE over winter layers
The hazard: Gloves over liners, hard hats over hoods and glasses over a face covering do not fit the way they did in September. OSHA requires PPE that properly fits each employee, and damaged PPE must not be used.
What to say: Put your PPE on over what you are wearing today. If it does not fit, or it is cracked or torn, swap it before you start.
Ask the crew: Which piece of your PPE fits worst over winter clothing?
Source: OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1)(iii) (opens in a new tab)
7. Walk the floor for winter damage
The hazard: Salt, meltwater and pallet traffic wear down floors and dock plates. OSHA requires walking-working surfaces to be inspected regularly and kept free of hazards such as loose boards, corrosion and protruding objects.
What to say: On your next walk to break, look down. Report the cracked plate, the lifted mat or the rusted grate, and say exactly where it is.
Ask the crew: What floor damage have you been stepping around since December?
8. Wet hands and plugs
The hazard: Wet gloves and damp hands are normal in February. OSHA says hands may not be wet when plugging and unplugging cords and plug-connected equipment if energized equipment is involved.
What to say: Dry your hands or change gloves before you plug in a charger, a heater or a tool. Keep cord ends off wet floors.
Ask the crew: Where do cords cross a wet floor in your area?
A week-by-week plan for February
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 | The summary goes up on February 1 and Wear Red Day is the first Friday. | |
| Week 2 | Both are checks the crew can do on the walk to the meeting. | |
| Week 3 | Doors are still shut and gloves are still wet. | |
| Week 4 | Late winter, when floor damage has built up and repairs can be planned. |
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
February safety topics, answered
There is no single official workplace theme. February is American Heart Month, led by NHLBI, and the first Friday is National Wear Red Day. For plants and warehouses the other fixed date is the OSHA 300A posting that starts on February 1.
From February 1 to April 30 of the year after the one it covers, in a conspicuous place, under 29 CFR 1904.32.
It is a talk about what the crew does in a medical emergency: who calls 9-1-1, what address they give and who meets the ambulance. That is worth five minutes whatever the cause.
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
Bring the safety problem you are stuck on, and we will show you on a call how LeanSuite handles it.