Coming up with interesting and educational safety meeting ideas can be challenging when you don’t know where to begin. Hence, you should read the following article to find some helpful weekly, monthly, or quarterly group meeting topics and find the information you’re searching for…
Safety at workplace is a priority for every organization. Regardless of where you work, on a construction site or in an air-conditioned office, the employees need to keep themselves safe at all times. Which is why, holding safety meetings at different settings such as corporate offices, construction sites, educational facilities, professional organizations, and/or retail stores is an important part of running an organization.
The audience, your employees, need to be informed on essential topics and issues that will make sure they are aware of the proper security information and tips while at work. Used as an educational tool for the employees, regular safety meetings can increase awareness for them, regardless of organization. The meetings can highlight safety issues, promote preventive techniques which need to be carried out, and prepare them for any unforeseen or unanticipated emergency situations.
We all know that safety is important and its significance has become an essential part of many companies’ policies. Also, educating the employees about the various types of meeting ideas can be used to demonstrate an understanding on why safety and emergency situations can’t be taken lightly. As more and more organizations are becoming aware of this necessity, the employers need to take proper measures as well. Whether you hold a one-time formal event which covers the basic safety guidelines or wish to hold monthly/quarterly events, there are many different safety topics for meetings you can choose from. In the following section, we have put together certain topics that are common in many companies.
Health and Safety Meeting Ideas
Of course, before the meeting(s) begin, every time you will have to inform everyone about the same. You can begin with a little bit of advertising, at first. No, we are not asking you to place an advertisement in the newspaper or anything. We want you to let your employees know what the topic(s) of discussion will cover, info about the place and timing. Perhaps the meeting concerns the organization itself, any recent national occurrences, the environment (global warming and how your company wishes to go green), or any other situation which requires attention; a thorough knowledge about the topics should to be disclosed so that everyone is on the same page.
You don’t want people to attend the meeting thinking about some subject(s) and later turning out to be something entirely different. To find out which subjects of discussion can the meetings be on, go over the following industrial and construction topics.
- Why follow safety policies
- How to apply safety regulations
- How to apply new safety regulations
- Investigating incident and accident at work
- Safety patrol and audit findings
- Use of eye and ear protection
- Avoiding hand and foot injuries
- New plant’s risk assessment
- Working around electricity and automated machinery
- Regular testing of pressure vessel
- Preparing a safety book for each department
- Confined space work environment
- Reporting of accidents at work
- Safety procedure during construction
- Encouraging a drug-free workplace
- Always being open to advice and suggestions on safety
- Identifying hazards at workplace
- Working under pressure
- Avoid slips, spills, trips, and falls
- Proper use of fire extinguisher
- Procedures for fire safety
- Reporting near miss incidents/accidents
- Safety procedures near swimming pool
- Reading/understanding safety data sheet
- Handling compresses gas cautiously
- Controlling chemical exposure
- Preventing workplace violence
- How to handle hazardous material
- Encouraging safety training programs
- Implementing hazardous material symbols/labels
- Keeping a sign-in sheet for employees to sign everyday
- Devising safety rules, training, and evacuation plans
- What topics to include in safety meetings
- Steps to take in case of fire
- Steps to take in case of power failure
- Steps to take in case of an earthquake
- Steps to take in case of hurricanes
- Steps to take in case of tornadoes
- Steps to take in case of burns
- Steps to take in case of back/neck injuries
- Steps to take in case of choking
- Steps to take in case of blood-borne pathogens
- Steps to take for stress management
- Steps to take in case of asbestos exposure
- Steps to take in case of bomb threat
- How to do vehicle inspections
- How to do an on-site inspection
- Have employees be certified in CPR
- Use of correct footwear
- What to do when another building is on fire
- Distributing emergency contact numbers at all times
- Information on emergency response teams
- Information on emergency response training
- Information on how to act during an emergency
- What to do in case of airborne contaminants
- Travel safety tips
- Bottom line: Be careful at work and go home safely
Since you have already informed the participants about the safety topics, via advertisement, you can also prepare handouts to be distributed during the meeting as well. This way, your employees will have a reminder of what steps, tips, and precautions need to be carried out for sound workplace safety. It is important that you also mention that in case there are any doubts, questions, and/or concerns, whom they can go for further information.
Most often than not, the meetings are somewhat concentrated on how heavy equipment and automated machines are handled and operated properly. However, the decision to hold meetings on specific topics for your employees will depend completely on you or the organization. Be sure to cover as much ground as possible. If you (employer or supervisor) are responsible for coming up with interesting topics to discuss at such meetings, what better way to begin than holding regular meetings that have some or all the above mentioned ideas in them.