giving safety talks: a guide for the construction sector – self-directed

Giving Safety TalksA guide for the construction sector

SELF-DIRECTEDGUIDE

Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society Versatile Collaborative Precise Responsive People-Centered

Self-Directed GuideGiving Safety Talks

Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society page 1

Giving Safety Talks: A guide for the construction sector

•FacilitatorGuide

•ParticipantWorkbook

•Self-DirectedGuide

•50SafetyPosters

Thisresourcehasbeenwrittenforsafetysupervisors,teamleadsandotherstaffresponsiblefordeliveringsafetytrainingwithintheconstructionsector.Therearethreemanualswhichprovideinformation,tools,tipsandpracticeopportunitiesfordeliveringbettersafetytraining.

TheFacilitatorGuideandParticipantWorkbookcanbeusedtodeliveroneortwo3-hourtrain-the-trainerworkshops.

TheSelf-DirectedGuideisusefulforsmallerorganizationswhichmaynothavethecapacity,timeortrainingdollarstohireaworkshoptrainer.

Eachofthemanualscanbeusedinconjunctionwiththesetof50SafetyPostersdepictingdifferentsafetytopics.

ThisresourcewasdevelopedtobeusedinorganizationswithworkerswhosefirstlanguageisnotEnglish.

Facilitator Guide and Participant Workbook

Thesemanualsaimtoincreaseanorganization’scapacitytodelivermoreeffectiveandengagingsafetytalks,andtheyworkbestwhentheyareusedtogetherwiththe50SafetyPosters.

Torequestaworkshop,todownloadthePDFversions,ortoordercopiesofthemanuals,pleasevisittheAWESwebsite:www.awes.ca

Self-Directed Guide

Thismanualwaswrittenforsmallerorganizationsasanindependentstudyforstaffinterestedindeliveringmoreeffectiveandengagingsafetytalks.Itcanbeusedwiththe50SafetyPosters.TodownloadthePDFversionortoordercopiesofthemanualandthesafetyposters,pleasevisittheAWESwebsite:www.awes.ca

50 Safety Posters

Fiftyhighlyvisualsafetypostersrepresentinghottopicsrelevanttotheconstructionindustryweredevelopedwithplainlanguageteachingpointsandtipsontheback,toaidsafetytrainers.TodownloadthePDFversionsortoordercopiesofthesafetyposters,pleasevisittheAWESwebsite:www.awes.ca

Acknowledgments

FundingforthecreationandpilotingofthisresourcewasgenerouslyprovidedbyAlbertaEmploymentandImmigration,nowAlbertaHumanServices.Byinvestinginthisresearch,thefundershavehighlightedthepressingneedtobuildcapacityanddevelopresourcestoequipemployers.

AWESwouldalsoliketoacknowledgetheAlbertaConstructionSafetyAssociation(ACSA)forsharingresources,expertiseandfeedback;theAlbertaConstructionAssociation(ACA)forpromotingthebenefitsofparticipatingintheprojecttoitsmembership;theConstructionSectorCouncil(CSC)foragreeingtodisseminatetheprojecttoindustry;andfinally,thecompanieswhohelpedpilottheresourceandprovidefeedback:DMTMechanical,Altair,PickerPeople,andScottBuilders.

ProjectManager:CindyMessaros

ProjectTeam:PaulHolmes,EmilTarka,LoreneAnderson,BarbBurfoot

©AlbertaWorkforceEssentialSkillsSociety(AWES)

Thematerialmaybeused,reproduced,storedortransmittedfornon-commercialpurposeswhentheAlbertaWorkforceEssentialSkillsSocietyisappropriatelyacknowledged.Thematerialmaynotbeused,reproduced,storedortransmittedforcommercialpurposeswithoutwrittenagreementfromtheAlbertaWorkforceEssentialSkillsSociety.

Formoreinformationcontact:

TheExecutiveDirectorAlbertaWorkforceEssentialSkillsSociety(AWES)www.awes.ca

AlbertaWorkforceEssentialSkills(AWES)isanonprofitorganizationdedicatedtobuildingacompetent,adaptableandinnovativeworkforcethroughworkplaceessentialskillsinitiatives.

www.awes.ca



About this guide

Theresourcehasbeendesignedfororganizationstotakeaself-directedapproachtoenhancingthepresentationskillsofthosewhogivesafetytalks.Safetytalksincludeweeklyormonthlygeneralsafetymeetingswithallemployees,aswelltoolboxtalksandtailgatemeetingswithteamsatthestartofshifts.

Using the safety posters

TheguideisaccompaniedbysafetyposterswhicharedownloadablefromtheAWESwebsite:awes.ca.Theyaredesignedtobeuser-friendlyandcoverawiderangeofsafetytopicsfortheconstructionsector.

Learning goals

Thegoalofallsafetytrainingistopreventaccidentsandinjuries.Beingabettercommunicatorofsafetyiscentraltoachievingthatgoal.Therefore,forthosetaskedwithraisingthesafetyskillsofworkersintheconstructionsector,thislearningguidehasthreemainlearninggoals:

•Strengthenyourpresentationskillsthroughtheselearningresourcesandtools.

•Removeyourpresentation“blindspots”throughrealtimefeedbackfromcolleagues.

•Advancethe“cultureofsafety”inyourworkplacebyenablingyoutobeabettercommunicator.

Approach

Youcanusethisself-directedguideintwoways:

• Independently.Workthroughtheresourcebyyourself.Askoneortwoclosecolleaguestoperformtheformalevaluationsofyoursafetytalks,usingthechecklistsatthebackofthisguide.Setupatimetogettogethertoreviewtheirevaluations.Usethesuggestedfeedbackmechanismusedthroughoutthisresource,namelythe“Keep–Stop–StartDoing”approach.Itenablestheevaluatorstorecognizeyourstrengths(keepdoing),whilegivingyouconstructivefeedbackonyourgaps(stopandstartdoing).

•Asateam.Workthroughtheresourceasateamthatregularlygivessafetytalks.Collaboratetoperformtheformalevaluationsofyoursafetytalks,usingthechecklistsatthebackofthisguide.Setupatimetogettogethertoreviewtheevaluations.Usethesuggestedfeedbackmechanismusedthroughoutthisresource,namelythe“Keep–Stop–StartDoing”approach.Itenablesevaluatorstorecognizetheperson’sindividualstrengths(keepdoing),whilegivingconstructivefeedbackongaps(stopandstartdoing).



Activities

Step 1: Understand How Credibility is Built 4

Step 2: Set Your Goals 6

Step 3: Be Clear, Coherent and Concise 7

Step 4: Adjust Voice and Body Language 12

Tools and Tip Sheets

Tool1 SafetyTalkSkillsChecklist 15

Tool2 BodyLanguageandSpeechQualityChecklist 16

TipSheet1 GivingSafetyTalks 17

TipSheet2 LearningStyles 18

TipSheet3 UsingOpen-EndedQuestion 19

TipSheet4 UsingClosed-EndedQuestion 20

TipSheet5 DealingwithDisruptions 21

TipSheet6 BridgingCommunicationGaps 22

TipSheet7 BridgingCulturalGaps 23

TipSheet8 BuildingCulturalIntelligence 24

TipSheet9 CreatingUnderstanding 25

AnswerstoActivity3 26



Step 1 Understand How Credibility is Built

Safety talks

Safetytalksincludeweeklyormonthlygeneralsafetymeetingswithallemployees,aswelltoolboxtalksandtailgatemeetingswithteamsatthestartofshifts.Regardlessofwhereasafetytalkhappens,thespeakerneedscredibilitytogainthetrustandattentionofhisorherlisteners.Credibilitydoesn’thavearecipe.Itvariesbetweenoccupations,organizationsandteams.However,credibilityisacriticalfactorinensuringthatsafetyistransferredfromthemeetingtotheworkplace.

Building credibility

Credibilityistheamountofrespectandtrustyouhavefromco-workers,supervisorsandclients.Itisbuiltinvariouswaysdependingonyourjob.Educationandworkexperienceareoftenthefirstlinesofcredibility.Sometimeslifeexperiencematters.Inveryhierarchicalworkplacecultures,senioritygivescredibility.Atothertimes,credibilitycancomefromage,rapport,technicalskills,orbyappointmenttoaposition.Forapersongivingsafetytalks,credibilitydependsonamixoffactorsuniquetoyourorganizationorteam.However,goodcommunicationisthecentralqualityforcredibilityinsafetytalks.

Activity

Readthelistofqualitiesthatbuildthecredibilityofasafetytalkspeaker.Inthebox,putacheckmark()nexttothetopfivethatyouthinkaremostcriticalforestablishingcredibilityinyourworkplacecontext.Attheendofthelist,makeanoteofanyadditionalqualitiesthatarealsoessentialtobuildingthecredibilityofthespeaker.

Clarity–speaksclearlywithclearpurposeandclearwordchoices

Coherence–speakscoherently(well-organized,keypointsandtransitioningwordse.g.first)

Conciseness–speaksconcisely,staysontopicandeliminatestheunnecessarydetails

Speechquality–usesgoodspeedandvolumewithlimitedinterjections,suchas“um”“ah”

Preparation–comesacrossaswell-prepared

Bodylanguage–usesgoodeyecontact,facialexpressionetc.

Rapport–connectswiththeaudiencetogaintheirtrustandattention

Expertise–knowledgeableandexperiencedinthesafetycontentofthetalk

Other...

See Tip Sheet 1, at the back of the guide for useful tips on giving better safety talks.



Meeting for peer evaluations

Yourevaluatorshavenotdonethetwoformalevaluationsofyourpresentationskillsyet.Thosewillbedonelater,onceyouworkthroughsteps2to4.

1. Atthispoint,simplymeetwithyourevaluator(s)tohaveageneraldiscussionongivingsafetytalks.

2. Discussthesevenintroductoryaspectsofagoodsafetytalk,aslistedbelow.

3. Askthemiftheyhaveanyfeedbackforyouatthispoint,eventhoughtheyhavenotperformedanyoftheevaluations.Theymayhavegeneralcommentsforyouonyourpresentationskills,thingsyoucouldstartdoingandkeepdoing.

Keep doing

Start doing

Clarity Clearpurposeandclearwordchoices.

CoherenceWell-organized,keypointsandtransitioningwordse.g.First,next,finally.

Conciseness Staysontopicandeliminatestheunnecessarydetails.

Speechquality Goodspeed,volume,limitedinterjectionssuchas“um”“ah”.

Preparation Wellprepared.

BodylanguageGooduseofgesture,spaceandeyecontacttoengagelisteners.

KnowledgeKnowledgeableandexperiencedinthesafetycontentofthetalk.

Other

Step 1 Understand How Credibility is Built



Step 2 Set Your Goals

You, your team and organization

Safetyhappenswithinaworkplaceculture.Itshouldflowfromthetopdown,fromthebottomup,fromthecentreoutwardsandfromtheedgesinwards.Yoursafetytalkshappenwithinacultureofsafetythatiseitherstrongorweak,ormovinginoneofthosedirections.Asyousetgoals,youshouldconsiderwhatisworkingandnotworkingintermsofsafetyinyourteamandorganization.Asyouimproveyoursafetytalks,yourteamandorganizationshouldbecomestrongerwithyou.

Activity

Setyourgoalsbyansweringthequestionsbelow.

My team – Identifythreepracticesyourteamshouldkeep,stopandstartdoingintheirgeneralsafetyonthejob.

“keepdoing”e.g.enforcingsafetyandlossprevention

“stopdoing”e.g.givinginonsmallinfractions

“startdoing”e.g.regularsafetymeetings

My organization – Identifythreepracticesthatyourorganizationshouldkeep,stopandstartdoing.

“keepdoing”e.g.strongseniormanagementsupport

“stopdoing”e.g.goingthroughthemotions

“startdoing”e.g.settingasidemoretimeinsafetymeetingsforquestionsandfeedback

My goals – Usingthelistyougeneratedabove,setyourselfgoalsforenhancingyourpresentationskills.Narrowyourgoalsdowntoonetothreeimmediategoals.Then,oneshort-termsafetygoalforyourteam(next3months).Andfinally,onelonger-termgoalforsafetystandardsinyourorganization(next6-12months).Beclearandspecificinyourchoiceofwords.

Immediateworkshopgoal Short-termsafetytalkgoal Longer-termsafetygoalfororganization



Step 3 Be Clear, Concise and Coherent

The four stages

Asafetytalkismadeupofatleastfourstages.

•Planning,whichmeansputtingdownonpaperwhatyouneedtocommunicate.

•Opening,whichisthefirstfewminutesofthesafetytalktocoverintroductionsandgeneralhousekeepingitems.

•Deliveringthecorecontent,whichisthemainbodyofthesafetytalk.

•Closingwithashortreviewofthemainpoint(s)andapplication.

Activity 1

Below,intheright-handcolumn,arethingsthatareimportanttoincludeinmostsafetytalks.Matchtheitemsinthelistwithoneofthefourstagesintheleftcolumn.Thefirstfourhavebeendoneforyou.Youcanfindtheanswersfortherest,onthenexttwopages.

See Tip Sheet 7, at the back of the guide for useful tips on bridging cultural gaps to build rapport with your teams.

Planning

Knowyourtopic.

Knowyourtopic.

Giveaquickoutlineofyourtalk–introducetopicandkeypoints.

Speakclearly,coherentlyandconcisely.

Giveastrongconclusion–youwanthightransferenceofyourmainpointintotheworkplace.

Prepareyouroutline–clear,coherent,concise.

Anticipateandprepforquestions.

Connectwithyouraudiencee..ghumour,story,interestingfactorupdate.

Dothehousekeeping–reviewlastmeet,incidents,concernsetc.

Openthefloor–askforfeedback,commentsetc.

Identifytargetaudience.

Prepyourvisualsandhandouts.

Addpersonalstoriesandstatisticsorfacts.

Opening

Giveaquickoutline.

Delivery

Usetransitionwords.

Closing

Giveastrongconclusion.



Planning

Knowyourtopic Doyourhomework.Ifyouareunclearaboutatopicfromthesafetyposters,goonlineanddofurtherresearch.ThisisagoodtimetogetsomestatisticsfromtheOccupationalHealthandSafetysitestosupportyourtalk.Itisalsoagoodtimetoselectasafetystoryfromyourownexperiences,orsearchoutastorythroughco-workersoronlinetosupportyoursafetytopic.

Identifytargetaudience

Areyouhavingatailgatemeeting,atoolboxmeetingorageneralsafetymeeting?Theformalityandlengthofthemeetingwillvary,dependingonthetypeofmeeting.

Somepeoplelearnthroughstatistics,othersthroughapersonalstory.Sometimesyouneedtogetsomeoneuptodemonstrateapoint.

Willyouneedtodealwithcomplainingandwhining?Don’tbetoobossy,butbedecisiveandreasonable.Empathize,don’tcriticize.Speaktowheretheyareat.

Prepareyouroutline

Be clear–choosethesimplestwordsandconcepts;limitcomplexitywheneverpossible.

Be coherent–organizeyourideasintospecificpoints;startwiththemainpointsuchaswhatyouwantpeopletoknowordoattheendofthetalk;thentransitionclearlyfromonepointtothenext,usingmarkerslike“first”,“next”etc.

Be concise–keepitshort;gettothepointquickly;eliminatetheunnecessary;sticktothetimelimit.

Anticipatequestions

Thinkaboutthosepartsofthetalkthatpeoplemightquestionorchallenge.Youmayneedtoclarifyorjustifyanythingnew,surprisingorcontroversial,oranynegativenews.ThemeetingmightincludepeoplewithlowEnglishskills.Youshouldhaveafewopen-endedquestionstoask,onyourkeysafetypoints,tochecktheircomprehension.

Prepvisualsandhandouts

Usethesafetypostersthataccompanythisguide.TheyarefreelydownloadablefromtheAWESwebsite(www.awes.ca)andeasytouse.Rememberthatvisuals–outlines,pictures,PowerPoint,memos–increaseanaudience’sinterest,focus,understandingandmemory.Createapaperoradigitaloutlineofyoursafetytalkwiththekeypointsforeasyreferenceduringthetalk.Thisisespeciallyusefulifyougetsidetracked.ThisisamustforteammemberswithlowEnglish.Putthesafetytalkoutlineuponthestaffnoticeboardasamemo.


Thetablesbelowprovidebriefexplanationstoeachoftheitemsinthelistfromtheprevioustable.

See Tip Sheet 2, at the back of the guide for useful tips on understanding the learning styles of your audience.



Opening

Dothehousekeeping

Takecareofanyhousekeepingitemssuchasareviewofthelastmeeting,discussrecentsafetyincidents,accidentsornearmisses,gooveranyconcerns.

Giveaquickoutline Giveyourlistenersaquickoverviewofwhatyouaregoingtotalkaboutsuchasyourtitleortopic,yourmainpoints,whattheyhavetoknowordooncetheygetbackonthejob.

Connectwithyouraudience

Makeajoke.Tellaquickstory.Wishsomeoneahappybirthday.Getsomeonetodemonstratesomething.Engageyourlisteners.Bringthemin.Turntheattentiontothem.

Delivery

Speakclearly,coherentlyandconcisely

Keepthesafetytalksimple.Sticktothekeypointsofyouroutline.Makesureyouusetransitionwordsasyoumovefromonepointtothenext,suchasfirst,then,followingthis.

Addpersonalstoriesandfacts

Usethestoriesfromyourownlifeorothers,orinvitetheaudiencetogiveexamples.Getpeopleuptodemonstrate.Interactwiththeteam.

Closing

Giveastrongconclusion

Theconclusiongivesyouonemorechancetoemphasizeyourmainpoint(s).Whatdoestheaudienceneedtoknowordooncetheyarebackonthejob?Thisiswhereyouwanttocreateaccountability,hightransferencefromthetalktotheworkplace,orgetinputfrompeopleonapplicationofknowledge.Eventhoughmanysafetytalksaremoreremindersthannewlearning,youstillwanttofosterameasureofmutualaccountabilityamongateam.

Openthefloor Invitequestions.YoumaywanttoaskclarifyingquestionswithworkerswhohavelowEnglishlevels.Letpeopleknowwheretheycangetacopyofthesafetytalkasamemoorotherhandouts.


Speaking to non-native speakers of English is a skill. You have to adapt your communication, even in safety meetings. See Tip Sheet 6, at the back of the guide for useful tips on closing communication gaps.

Building rapport across culturally-diverse teams is key to establishing trust among the members. Trust is essential to safety. See Tip Sheet 8, at the back of the guide for useful tips on building cultural intelligence in yourself and your teams.

You often need to make sure everyone understands what you said in the talk. See Tip Sheets 3, 4 and 9, at the back of the guide for useful tips on asking questions and getting clarification.




Activity 2

3-30-3 Outline

The3-30-3Outlineisaeasy-to-usestrategytoplanyourpresentation.Itmakesitquickandtothepoint.The3-30-3Outlineasksthreequestions:

• IfIhadonly3secondstospeak,whatwouldIsay?

• IfIhadanother30seconds,whatpointsbestsupportthatmainpoint?

• IfIhadanextra3minutes,howwouldIexpandeachpoint?

3-30-3isacommunicationhabit–awayoforganizinginformation–sothattheinformationisalwaysclear(inplainlanguage),concise(tothepoint)andcoherent(logicallyordered).Whenyouanswerthethreequestionsduringplanning,youcreateaframeworkto“hang”yoursafetyinformationon.Infact,itisagoodframeworktousewhenyouhavetogiveupdatesorimpromptutalks.Takealookattheexplanationbeneatheachquestion.

3-30-3 Framework

3 IfIhadonly3secondstospeak,whatwouldIsay?

30 IfIhadanother30seconds,whatpointsbestsupportthatmainpoint?

3

IfIhadanextra3minutes,howwouldIexpandeachpoint?

Main point

Theanswerbecomesthemainpointofyoursafetytalk.Thisquestion,undersuchshorttime,focuseseverythingtothecoremessage.Youcouldalsoaskitthisway:whatdoesmyaudienceneedtoknowand/ordo,oncethetalkisover?Itmakesyourpurposeclear.

Supporting points

Theanswersgivethesupportingpointstoyourmainpoint.Ifyoubreakitdownto3points,youwouldhave10secondstostateeachpoint.Clearlyorderedsupportingpointsmakeyourtalkcoherent–arrangedlogicallyinsteadofmuddledup.

Body

Thisisthe“how”.Thisquestionhelpssetoutthebody,orcorecontent,ofyoursafetytalk.Itgivesyou60secondstoexpandoneachofyour3supportingpoints.Duringarealtimesafetytalk,youwouldnaturallyextendorlimitthetime,andfillyourcontentwithexamples,visuals,demonstrations,storiesetc.Bylimitingyourtimeintheplanningstage,youcaneliminatetheunnecessarydetails,whichmakesyourtalkconcise,orto-the-point.



Activity 3

ThefollowingfivesentencesformtheworkingoutlineforasafetytalkonthetopicofWHMISlabels.Puteachsentenceintotheboxthatbestmatchesitspositioninasafetytalk.Writeonlythenumberdown.Afteryouhaveorderedthem,underlinethetransitionwordsthatshiftfromoneideatothenext.Thereareatleasteighttransitionwordsand/orphrases.Theanswersareinthebackofthisresource.

Outline for WHMIS label safety talk

1. Andjustasimportant,you,theworker,areresponsiblefortwocriticalactivities.First,makesureyouunderstandtheinformationontheWHMISlabel.ThatmeansreviewingtheMSDSsheetswhennecessary.Andsecond,reporttomeoranothersupervisorwhenalabelisunreadableorhasbeenremovedordefaced.Itisnotjustyoursafetybutalsothepersonworkingwithyouthatmatters.

2. IwouldliketorevisitWHMISlabelsinthissafetytalk,withthemainpointofmakingsureyouknowexactlywhatyouareaccountableforastheworker.

3. Tostart,andsimplyput,suppliershavetoobtain,applyandupdatethelabelstotheircontainers.Thatistheirjob.

4. Astheemployer,weneedtoensureallcontainersofcontrolledproductsthatenterthisworkplacearelabelledproperly.Thatmeansobtainingsupplierlabelswhentherearenoneorcreatingworkplacelabelsasrequired.

5. First,wewilldoaquickreviewofthesupplier’sresponsibilities.Then,thelabelingresponsibilitiesofthemanagementteamhere,meaningyouremployer.Thatwillmakeitcleartofinallylookatyourtwomainresponsibilitiesasaworkeronthisteam.

Mainpoint:#

Supportingpoint:#

Body:Supportingpoint1

#


#


#


Peer evaluation 1

Thefocusisonyoursafetytalkskills.Giveyourevaluator(s)Tool1:SafetyTalkSkillsChecklistatthebackofthisguide.Havetheevaluator(s)observeyougivingyournextsafetytalk.Haveameetingaftertodebrief,tomakenotesonfeedbackandtoaskquestions



Step 4 Adjust Voice and Body Language

Non-verbals

Voiceandbodylanguage,ornon-verbalcommunication,makeupforover90percentofallcommunication.Mostpeopleareunawareoftheirownnon-verbalhabitsthatoccurwhilegivingasafetytalk.Themoreyouareawareofwhatyoudosubconsciously,themoreyoucanmakeaconsciousefforttoeitherchangeormaximizethosehabits.

Activity

Readthroughthebodylanguageandspeechqualitytables.Whichonesareyougoodatandwhichonesdoyouwanttodevelop?

See Tip Sheet 5, at the back of the guide for useful tips on dealing with disruptions.

Body language

EyesMakeeyecontactwitheveryoneacrosstheaudience.Avoidfocusingononepersonorstaringdownatthefloor.

ExpressionKeepyourfacialexpressionconfident,friendlyandopen,butfocusedbystayingontaskandontime.

Gesture Usearmsandhandstostrengthenandsupportyourwordsandideas.Avoidlowgesturewhichispassive,andhighgesturethatisdistracting.

Spatial command Standupstraight,berelaxed.Appearcalmandcollected.Avoidfidgetingorslouching.

Speech quality

SpeedSpeakatamoderatespeedsothatlistenerscanprocessideas.

RhythmVaryyourvoicepitchwithhighandlowinflectionsbystressingkeywordsinasentence.

InterjectionsLimitinterjectionssuchassighs,um,ah,likeetc.

Pause Usewell-placedpausestochunkinformationintothoughtgroups.Itiseasiertoprocessinthebrain.

ToneMoodissetthroughtone–thewordsyouselectandtheemotioninyourvoice.Createapositive,openandoptimisticmood.

RepetitionAvoidunnecessaryrepetitionofwords,phrasesandsentencesunlesstoemphasizeorremind.

VolumeSpeakloudenoughforeveryonetohearclearly.

ClarityPronounceyourwordsclearlybymoderatingyourspeakingspeed.

Compensation strategiesIfyougoblank,orgetstuck,justpause.Think.Lookatyournotes.Givethegroupaquicktask.Tellastory.Butlimityourinterjectionsandrepetition.Ithappenstoeveryone.Relax.




What is plain language?

Plainlanguageistheskillofadjustingyouroralandwrittencommunicationtofittheaudienceitisbeingdeliveredto.Ratherthanover-simplifyingandlosingtheoriginalmeaninginyourmessage,plainlanguageshouldmakethemessageclearerthroughcarefulwordchoicesandsentencestructures.Bydoingthis,everyoneunderstandstheinformationandexpectationsbetter,especiallyinsafetytalks.

Inplainlanguage,speakerswill:

•useconcreteandfamiliarwords

•explainnewtermsandoccupationaljargon

•organizeideasinalogicalorder

Noteverywordorsentencecanbeputintoplainlanguage.Useyourdiscretion–sometermsandconceptsdefyrewriting.Inthesesituations,bettervisuals,definitionsorevenlanguagetranslationcouldbeusedtosupportunderstanding.

Ultimately,plainlanguagecontributessignificantlytoasaferandmoreinclusiveteamculture.

When to use plain language?

SpeakingandwritingwithplainlanguageiscrucialinlowliteracyorlowEnglish-speakingcontexts.Itisusefulforbothwrittenandoralpubliccommunications,fromsafetytalkstosafetybulletins,memos,instructionsandprocedures.Wherecouldplainlanguagebeappliedmoreeffectivelyinyourorganization?



Therightsandobligationsofworkersgohand-in-hand.Asaworker,theOHSlawrequiresyoutoworksafelyandco-operatewithyouremployerbyadheringtothehealthandsafetyrulesforthejob.Asanemployee,youalsohaveOHSrights,namely:

1. toreceiveadequatetrainingpriortoperformingandexecutingtasksthatrequirespecificindustrytraining.

2. torefuseimminentlydangerousandhazardouswork.

3. toparticipateinallofyouremployersworksitehazardidentificationprocessesandbeinvolvedinthecontrolandeliminationoftheidentifiedhazards.Youcanexercisethisrightby completingyourhazardassessmentcardpriortocommencingyourtasks.

Therightsandobligationsofworkersgotogether.Asaworker,youhaverights,butyoualsohaveobligationstoyouremployer.OHSlawsaysyoumustworktogetherwithyouremployertofollowthehealthandsafetyrulesforyourjob.YoualsohaveOHSrights,suchas:

1.

2.

3.


Activity

ThecolumnontherightisashortreviewoftheOHSrightsofworkers.Usethespaceintherightcolumntorewritethemintoplainlanguage.

Peer evaluation 2

Thefocusisonyourbodylanguageandspeechquality.Provideyourevaluator(s)withTool2:BodyLanguageandSpeechQualityChecklistatthebackofthisguide.Havetheevaluator(s)observeyouforthefinaltimegivingasafetytalk.Haveameetingaftertodebrief,tomakenotesonfeedbackandtoaskquestions.



OpeningKeep doing

Start doing

Additional comments

Introductions–doesnecessaryintroductions

Topic–givestitleortopicofthesafetytalk

Mainpoint–frontloadsmainpointclearly

Accountability–connectsthemainpointwiththegroup

Outline–setsoutthesupportingpoints

Rapport–connectswiththeaudience

DeliveryKeep doing

Start doing

Additional comments

Personalizes–useslifeexperiencetoexplainpoints

Demonstrates–usesactionsoractivitiestoexplainpoints

Repeats–repeatskeypoints,termsandconcepts

Participates–involvesgroupduringthetalk

Transitions–usesmarkerstotransitionbetweenideas

Impartsconfidence–avoidsself-deprecation

Speaksclearly

Speaksconcisely

Speakscoherently

Respects–respectsaudience’stime

ClosingKeep doing

Start doing

Additional comments

Summary–restatesthemainpoint

Accountability–restatestheapplicationintotheworkplace

Safety Talk Skills Checklist Tool 1



Body language Keep doing

Start doing Additional comments

Eyes–makeseyecontactacrosstheaudience

Gesture–strengthensandsupportsspeaking

Expression–confident,friendly,focusedandopen

Spatialcommand–relaxed,calm,collected

Other…

Speech qualityKeep doing

Start doing Additional comments

Speed–speaksatamoderatespeed

Pause–useswell-placedpauses

Volume–speaksloudenoughforeveryonetohear

Rhythm–variesspeechpitchwithinflectionandintonation

Tone–createsapositive,openandoptimisticmood

Clarity–pronounceswordsclearly

Interjections–limitsinterjections(like,sighs,um,ah)

Repetitions–avoidsunnecessaryrepetitions

Compensationstrategies–useseffectivestrategies

Other…

Body Language and Speech Quality Checklist Tool 2



Giving Safety Talks Tip Sheet 1

The aimBecomingaslickpublicspeakerisnotthegoal;insteadaimtoadvanceacultureofsafetyatwork.Aimforengagingtalksthatgethightransferenceofsafetyfromthesafetymeetingintotheworkplace.

The approachGiveclear,conciseandcoherentsafetymessages.Eliminatetheunnecessary.Thatmeanssimplelanguage.Tothepoint.Andlogicallyorganized.

The focusEliminatetheunnecessary–buildyourtalkaroundwhattheaudienceneedstoknowand/ordo.

Get feedbackUsethe“keep-stop-start”methodtoregularlyseekdirectfeedbackfromcolleagues.Usetheirfeedbacktofurtherimproveyourskills.

Transition clearlyUsecleartransitionwordssuchasfirst,next,lastly,tomovefromonepointtothenext.Also,repeatkeywords,termsandconcepts.

Less is moreLessismore.Don’ttrytopacktoomuchintoasafetytalk.Insteadfocusonafewspecificpointsandaimforhightransferenceofknowledgeintotheworkplace.

Eliminate stage frightYoucancontrolstagefrightbecauseitisrootedinthefollowingnon-reality:“Someoneelsecandeliverexactlythesamesafetytalkbetterthanyou,andscorea10outof10.Nomistakes.Noslipsups.”Weknowthereisnosuchperson.Nooneisa10.Everyspeakerwalksawaydoingitbetterthenexttime.Yourcureforstagefrightmaybeunique,butyoucanstartwiththefollowing:

• Prepwell.Practicethetalkoutloudbeforehand.Itwillboostyourconfidencewhenyoustandbeforetheaudience.

• Recognizeitbutdon’tfeedit.Stagefrightfeelsrealbutcanbecontrolled.Putyourselfmentallyahead5minutesinyourtalk.Thefirstfewminutesofatalkcanbetoughasyouaretryingtofindyour“groove,”ornaturalflowofthought.Onceyouarepastthosefirstfewminutes,youfindyourflow.

• Berealistic.Therearenoperfect10s.Stopthinking“me”andfocusyourthoughtson“them,”theaudience.Youaregivingthesafetytalktoguideandenablethemtonotgethurtorhurtothers.Itisnotaboutyou.

• Manyways,manytalks.Thereisnoonewaytogiveatalk.Yoursisoneway.Focusonfiguringoutthebestwayinthatmomentwiththataudience.Itwilllikelybedonedifferentlynexttime.

• Buildyourcredibilityinyourownmindsothatyoufeel“qualified”tospeak.

• Usenotes.Haveanoutlineonpaperthatyoucanturntoifyoulosefocus.

• Seekfeedback.Beopentoimprovingbygettingfeedbackfromtrustedco-workers.

Build rapportPeopledon’treallycarehowmuchyouknowuntiltheyknowhowmuchyoucare.Carehastodowithhowmuchyouactuallycareaboutyourtopic,yourworkandthepeople.

Asafetytalkbeginsdaysandmonthsbeforeyoustandinfrontofpeople.Thecredibilityyouhavewithyouraudiencecomesfromhowyoumodelwhatyouwantthemtopractice.Itisnotjustwhatyoupractice,buthowyoupracticeitwiththemdaily.Andatadeepermoreeffectivelevel,doyouknowthepeople?

ItwassaidthatthereasonpeoplefollowedamadmanlikeNapoleonisbecauseheknewthefirstnamesofmorethanathousandofhissoldiersatanytime.Buildingrapportisjustasvitalasbuildingcredibility.



Recognizing Learning Style Tip Sheet 2

Thesearethethreemostrecognizedlearningstyles.Althougheveryonehasapreferenceforone,thebestlearningoccurswhenweengagepeopleusingmorethanonestyle.Useallthreestylesinyoursafetytalks.

Learning style Definition Ways to engage

Auditory

Learnbestbyhearing.Auditorylearnersoftentalkaloudtoprocessinformation.Theycanbeeasilydistracted.Theyhavedifficultywithwritteninstructions,preferringtotalkthroughthesteps.

•Readaloud.

•Repeatkeypoints.

•Maketimeforopenorgroupdiscussions.

•Getthemtorepeatbacktoyou.

•Usepersonalstories.

Visual

Learnbestbyseeing.Visuallearnersobservefirstratherthanactortalk.Theyareorganizedintheirapproachtotasks.Theirmindmaystrayduringverbaldiscussions.Theyfindverbalinstructionsdifficult,preferringtoseeitonpaperorinadrawing.

•Providehandouts,memos,pictures.

•UsePowerPointforformalmeetings,withlargefontandlotsofwhitespace.

•Becolour-codedandbestrategicwithvariousfontsandsizes.

•Allowtimefornote-taking.

•Demonstratethepointinfrontofthem.

Kinesthetic

Learnbestbytouching,doingandmoving.Kinestheticlearnersliketosolvelearningproblemsbyphysicallyworkingthroughthem.Theywilltrynewthingsareoutgoingbynature.Theyaretactile,preferringtotouchobjectsandpeopleastheyengagethem.

•Getthemtophysicallydemonstrateit,touchtheobject,engagethepointinsomephysicalway.



Using Open-Ended Questions Tip Sheet 3

Open-endedquestionsaskforexperience,opinion,reflectionandapplication.Theycannotbeansweredinoneword.Theyencouragemoreinformationanddeeperthoughtfromyouraudience.Usethefollowingexamplesasneeded.

Purpose Examples

Drawonexperience Howhaveyouusedthesetools?

Giveopinion Whathasyourexperiencebeenintryingthis?

Predictoutcomesandconsequences

Whatwouldhappenifwe?

Whatcouldhappenifwedon’t?

Whatifallnewemployeeswererequiredto?

Makecomparisons Howisthisthesameas?

Findalternatives Arethereanyalternativestocomeupwiththesameresult?

Challengethinking Doyouagreewithandwhyorwhynot?

Placevalue,priority,importance Howdoyoufeelabout?

Staterelationships Whyarethesetwothingsconnected?

Bringunderstanding Whydoyouthinkthecompanyisaskingthepeopleto?

Demonstrateunderstanding Showmehowyouproperlyattach?

Exploremotivation Whatistherationalebehindthepolicy?

Apply Wouldyouusethisprocedureathome?

Makeevaluations Howhasthismachineimproved?

Confirm Howdoyouknowthatisworking?



Using Closed-Ended Questions Tip Sheet 4

Closed-endedquestionsfocusonfactualinformation.Thereisoftenarightorwrong,yesornoanswer.Theyrequireshortresponses.Usethefollowingexamplesasneeded.

Purpose Examples

Recallinginformation

•Couldyousummarizemainpoints?

•Whoistheprocedurewrittenfor?

•Doyouwearthisinyourdailywork?

•Whathazardsarethereonthisjobsite?

Identification

•Whataresomepossibleoutcomesofthisdisease?

•Wheredoesthishappenatyourworkstation?

•Whataretherightconditionsforthistohappen?

•Whenwouldyouusethissafetydevice?

Classification •Whereorwhatgroupdoesthischemicalbelongto?

Definition•WhatistheproperwaytowearthisPPE?

•Whatistheproperprocedureforhazardidentification?

Symptoms•Whathashappenedwhenproperergonomicsarenotfollowed?

•Whatarethehazardswithnotkeepingyoureyeontheweather?



Dealing with Disruptions Tip Sheet 5

Hereisalistofcommondisruptivebehavioursyoumightexperiencewithanaudience,andtipsfordealingwiththebehaviours.Refertothemasneeded.

Distraction Definition Strategy

Disinterest Thepersonseemsbored,yawningloudly,lookingattheirwatch.Youshoulddealwithdisinterestoritmayaffectotheraudiencemembers.

• Movecloser.Standingclosetothepersonwillfocustheirattention.

• Askthepersonaquestionthatengagesandbringshimorherintothesafetytalk.

Sarcasm Theaudiencemembermakessarcasticjokes.Youneedtodealwithsarcasmoryouraudiencewillloserespectforyou.

Confronttheindividualdirectly.Thispersonhasanissuethatneedstobeaddressed.Ask,“Whatdoyoumeanbythat?”Encouragehimorhertostatetheconcernssothatyoucandealwiththembeforemovingon.

Arguing Theindividualconfrontsyouinfrontofthegroup,disputingyourpoints.Youneedtodealwithargumentativeapproachotherwisethegroupmayjoinin.

• Appearrelaxed.Ifyouappearangryorunsureofyourself,theaudiencewilllosetrustinyou.

• Calmlyrespondtotheindividual’scomment.Iftheindividualwishestocontinuethediscussion,invitethemtodiscussitwithyouinprivateafterthetalk.

Dominating Thepersonspeaksalotduringyoursafetytalk,frequentlyofferingtheircommentsandopinions.Dominatorsspeaksomuchthatnooneelseisabletocontributetoyourpresentation.Thisannoystherestoftheaudienceandcouldcausethemtostoppayingattention.

• Askclosedquestionstothedominator.Thissatisfiestheirneedtocontributebutforcesthemtogiveashortanswer.

• Askquestionstootheraudiencemembers.Thisencouragesthemtocontributeandtakesthefocusawayfromthedominator.

• Politelyask“Canwehearwhatothersthinkaboutthis?”

• Explainthat,whileyouappreciatetheircontribution,youwouldlikethemtoallowotherstospeak.Berespectful.

Sideconversations

Audiencemembersengageinaprivateconversationwhileyouaremakingyourpresentation.Thiscreatesadistractionfortheothersintheaudienceandencouragesmoresideconversations.

For related side conversations:

• Theymaybetranslatingorgettingclarification;usetheopportunitytoraisethequestiontothegroupincaseothersalsoneedtranslationorclarification.

For unrelated side conversations, do one of the following:

• Standcloser.Theywilllikelystop.

• Pause.Continueoncetheyhavestoppedtalking.

• Askiftheyhaveaquestionorcommentforthegroup.

• Respectfullyaskthemtostop,andexplainthattheirbehaviourisadistractiontotheothers.

Cellphones Peopletakecellphonecallsduringthesafetytalk.

Don’tcompromiseonthis.Askpeopletoturnofftheircellphones.Gettingsafetyrightmusttakepriority.Businessorpersonalmatterscanwaituntilafterthemeeting.

Latecomers Thepersonshaveahabitofarrivinglateforsafetymeetings.

Bringthelatecomeruptothefront,andbuildthemintothesafetytalkbyhavinghimorherdemonstratethesafetypoint,ortellarelatedsafetystory.



Bridging Communication Gaps Tip Sheet 6

Use plain English

Usesimplewordchoicesandwheneverpossibleavoididioms,slang,occupationaljargon,expletives,colloquialisms,andcomplexhumourlikesarcasm.

Speak slowly, not loudly

Pausebrieflybetweenyourthoughtgroupsineachsentence,likenewsanchorsdoonTV.Itiseasierforlistenerstoprocesswhatyousay.

Use marker words

Separateyourideaswithwordslike‘first”,“then”,“next”,“afterthat”,“attheend”etc.Itbecomeseasiertoconnectyourideas.

Repeat key words

Beawareofyourkeywordsandideassothatyoucanrepeatthem.Thisreinforcesthelistener’sunderstanding.

Be linear

Beginwiththeend.WhatdoIwantthepersontoknowordoattheendoftheconversation?Organizeyourthoughtsbeforeyouspeaksothatyouareclear,specific,andtothepoint.

Use gestures and visuals

Gesturescansupportbasicideas.Drawingsandothervisualscanexplainmorecomplexdetails.Writeitdownifnecessary.

Listen actively

Payattention.Showthatyouarelistening.Allowthepersontofinish.Providefeedback.Ifpronunciationchallengesmakeitdifficulttounderstand,trymentallyrepeatingtheperson’swordsastheyspeak.Confirmwhatyoudidunderstand.Thenaskthepersontorepeatslowlywhatyoudidn’tunderstand.

Use a translator as a last option

TakethetimetouseEnglishatwork.Onlyuseatranslatorwhenabsolutelynecessary.ItisworthwhiletomakeitahabitofputtingEnglishfirst.Unlesscustomersorsafetyissuesareinvolved,thedailypatienceofusingEnglish,andnotgivingup,willbeworthwhileinthefuture.

Encourage others

Createacultureofencouragementonteamssothatpeoplearenotworriedabout“losingface”iftheirEnglishisincorrect.Encourageco-workerswhentheircommunicationimprovesorwhenyouseethemtryingtouseEnglish.Giveconstructivefeedbacktohelpthemgrow.Encouragementbuildsconfidenceinnewcomers.



Bridging Cultural Gaps Tip Sheet 7

Ask open-ended questions“Losingface”,duetonotunderstanding,mayworrysomenewcomers.Therefore,avoidusingyesandnoanswer-questions.Forexample,insteadofsaying“Doyouunderstand?”ask“Whatareyougoingtodofirst?”or“Whatarethethreethingsweneedtogetdone?”

Adapt to different communication styles Culturecaninfluencecommunication,suchasthedegreeofdirectness,ortheamountofemotionandpersonaldisclosureetc.Sometimesthisgoodforateam,andatothertimesitcanstoppeoplefromworkingwelltogether.Trainingmaybenecessarytodevelopbettercommunicationskillsonteams.

Look for indirect communicationBecausepeoplemaynotwanttooffendor“loseface”,theymaycommunicateindirectly.Youmightneedto“readbetweenthelines”,orunderstandthehiddenmeaningsinbodylanguagesuchassmiles,sighs,orevenlaughs.Ask.Becurious.

Be aware of personal spaceCulture,religionandgendercansignificantlyinfluencenormsofpersonalspaceandtouch.Asknewcomersabouttheirunderstandingsofspace,touch.Askthemabouttheirpreviousworkplacecultures.Forthemostpart,newcomersareeagertotalkabouttheirculturesandpreviousworkplaces.

Recognize different internal clocks Culturewiresthe“internalclocks”ofpeopledifferently.Thismightaffectcommunication,deadlinesandpunctuality,multi-taskingetc.Evenreligiouspracticesandcommunitycommitmentscansettherhythmsofwork.Asknewcomersabouttheirideasoftimeintheworkplace.CompareyourCanadiancompanynormswiththeirculturalbackgroundstoraiseeveryone’sawarenessofdifferences.Gettoknownewcomerssothatyoucantalkaboutissues.Staycurious.

Understand how hierarchy affects behaviour Peoplefrommorehierarchicalworkculturesmightactdifferentlywithsupervisors.Forexample,theymaynotshowlotsofinitiative–alwayswaitingtobetoldwhattodo.Inaleadershiprole,theymightseem“bossy”.Compareandcontrasttheleader-subordinaterelationshipintheirculturewithyourownworkplace.Discusshowtrust,credibility,rapportandrespectarebuiltinyourworkplace.

Notice how credibility is builtCredibilityaffectstrustandrespect.Itmightbebuiltthroughworkaccomplishmentsorpersonalcharacter,byeducation,leadershippositionsandimportantresponsibilities,familyandinfluentialpeople,moneyandpossessions,ageetc.Howiscredibilitybuiltonyourteam?Brainstormwithyourteam.Startadiscussionatlunch.

Notice how rapport is developed Becomemoreawareofhowpeoplebuildrelationshipatwork,ofhowmuchpersonalinformationtheyshareandthethingstheytalkabout.Bringnewcomersintoconversations.Explainsportsandotherpopularculture.Becuriousaboutothercultures.Chat.Ask.Findout.Sharewhatyoulearnwithothersonyourteam.

Build trust, not silence Gettoknownewcomers.Helpthemfindthat“fit”atwork.Lookfortherighttimingtotalkandofferadvice.Youhavelivedherefromthebeginning–youhave“lessonslearned”toofferthem.They,inturn,canexpandyourworldviewmorethanaTVshowevercould.DoastheysayatNationalGeographic,“Livecurious.”



Building Cultural Intelligence Tip Sheet 8

Stay curious

AtNationalGeographictheysay“Livecurious.”Culturalcuriositycangobeyondnoticingdifferentphysicaltraits,formsofdress,foodorrituals.

Youcanaskpeopleaboutbooks,sports,musicandraisingkids.Youcanaskaboutgrowingupinanotherpartoftheworld.Bestmemories.Theroleofparentsandgrandparents.

Youcangetintoevenmoreinterestingdiscussionsaboutrelationsonteamsandwithsupervisors,whatcanandshouldnotbetalkedabout,howtimeisbestusedatwork.Howrespectisshowninanotherlanguage.Howcredibilityandrapportarebuiltatwork.Theconversationstartersareendless.

Whenyoumakedepositsofrespectfulcuriosityintoothers,youbuilduptrust,themostpowerfulresourceonateam.Staycurious.

Suspend judgment

Haveyoueverhadaculturalexperiencethatwasuncomfortable?Youarenotthefirstperson.Butyoumightbethefirstonyourteamtosuspendjudgment.

Suspendingjudgementmeanstakingholdofyourfeelings,oremotions.Don’tjudgethesituationasrightorwrong,orevenunimportant.Itislikegettingarudeemailandwaitinguntilthenextdaywhenyoucanthinkcalmlyabouttherightresponse.

Inadifficultculturalmoment,trytothinkaboutwhattheperson’smotivationsmightbe.Itisprobablynotmeanttoberudeordifficult.Whatyoufindisthathumanmotivationsaresimilar,butthewaytheycomeoutcanbeverydifferent.

Agentleresponseandacuriousapproachwillgetbetterreactions.Suspendingjudgementworks.

Become mindful

Culturalintelligencemeansseeingbothdifferencesandsimilaritiesbetweenpeople.Whatyoushouldavoidisminimizingthosedifferences,orover-emphasizingsimilarities.

Minimizingsimplyputsyourownculturalnormsontoothers,becauseyouthinkeveryoneisthesame.Culturalnormsarenotuniversal.EvenneighboursliketheUSandCanadadifferinworkplacecultures.Infact,culturehidesitselfbestfromitsownfollowers.

Bemindful.Deepenyourunderstandingofyourownculturalnorms.Gobeyondthesurfaceofthingslikedress,foodsandsportstohowyoucommunicate,buildcredibilityormakefriends.Becomemindful.

Be adaptive

Followthegoldenrule:“dotootherculturesastheywouldprefer.”Thisimpliesincreasingyourgeneralandspecificknowledgeoftheotherculturesyouworkwith.Evenifitisasimplethinglikeadaptingyoureyecontactorpersonalspace,oralittlemorecomplexlikeadjustingyourcommunicationstyle.Why?Goodrelations.Lessconflict.Betteruseofyourtime.Increasedsafety.Jobquality.Respectandtrust.

Atthesametime,ifyourecognizespecificworkplacenormsneedtobeclearlysharedwithnewcomers,don’tkeepsilent.Drawonthetrustyoubuildwiththemandbeopenaboutdifferences.

Worktohaveaclearandcommonagreementonwhatbehavioursandattitudesworkbestbetweenyouandyourco-workers.Beadaptivetoo.



What to do when a newcomer doesn’t understand you

Ifanewcomerdoesn’tunderstandyourspokenmessage,usethefollowingguidelines:

•Frontloadyourmessage–putthemostimportantpointfirstbyfocusingonlyonwhatyouwantthepersontodoorknow.

•Makesureyouareusingplainlanguage,andavoidslang,colloquialismsandidiomaticphrases.

•Speakslowernotlouder.Pausebetweenideas.Usemarkerwords.

•Askthepersonwhattheydidunderstand,andthenwhattheydidn’tunderstand.

•Re-explainthedifficultpart,keepitsimplebutdon’tlosethekeymeaningofyourmessage.

•Writethemostimportantpointsdowninsequence.

•Usegesturesandvisualsifnecessary.

•Useatranslator,ifnothingelseworks.

•Alwaysconfirmtheperson’sunderstandingwithopen-endedquestions,suchas“Whatshouldwedofirst?”

Creating Understanding Tip Sheet 9with non-native speakers of English

How to check a newcomer has understood you clearly

Ifyouknowanewcomerusuallyfindsitdifficulttounderstandyou,usethefollowingguidelines:

•Beforeyoustart,invitethepersontoaskquestionsatanytimetheydon’tunderstand.

•Tellthepersonyouaregoingtostopsometimesandaskhimorhertorepeatbackortoansweraquestion.Tellthepersonthatyouwouldlikehimorhertoaskquestionsatthosemomentsaswell.

• Ifindoubt,alwayscheckthepersonhasunderstoodbyaskingopen-endedquestions.Avoid“yes”and“no”answerquestions.Instead,askthepersontoexplainwhattheyaregoingtodo,orgethimorhertoshowyou.

•Later,askfollow-upquestionsondetails,suchassafetyrelatedconcerns,tochecktheirunderstandingandprogress.

•Watchforbodylanguageandindirectsignals,suchassmilesandlaughsorheadmovements,thatsuggestthepersonisnotunderstanding.

•Thinkofwhatyouhavenotmentionedthatyouassumethenewcomerknows.

•Writeitdown,orsupportyourselfwithgesturesandvisuals,oruseatranslatorifnothingelseworks.

•Askthepersontogiveyouanupdateataspecifictimesoonafterwardstoavoidgoingtoofarintheirworkwithamistake.



Answers to Activity 3

Outline for WHMIS label safety talk

Mainpoint:#2

Supportingpoint:#5


#3


#4


#1

Transition words

• IwouldliketorevisitWHMISlabelsinthissafetytalk,withthemainpointofmakingsureyouknowexactlywhatyouareaccountableforastheworker.

•First,wewilldoaquickreviewofthesupplier’sresponsibilities.Then,thelabelingresponsibilitiesofthemanagementteamhere,meaningyouremployer.Thatwillmakeitcleartofinallylookatyourtwomainresponsibilitiesasaworkeronthisteam.

•Tostart,andsimplyput,suppliershavetoobtain,applyandupdatethelabelstotheircontainers.Thatistheirjob.

•Astheemployer,weneedtoensureallcontainersofcontrolledproductsthatenterthisworkplacearelabelledproperly.Thatmeansobtainingsupplierlabelswhentherearenoneorcreatingworkplacelabelsasrequired.

•Andjustasimportant,you,theworkerareresponsiblefortwocriticalactivities.First,makesureyouunderstandtheinformationontheWHMISlabel.ThatmeansreviewingtheMSDSsheetswhennecessary.Andsecond,reporttomeoranothersupervisorwhenalabelisunreadableorhasbeenremovedordefaced.Itisnotjustyoursafetybutalsothepersonworkingwithyouthatmatters.

www.awes.ca

giving safety talks: a guide for the construction sector – self-directed

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