The talks
Fall protection: the 6-foot line
Edges, openings, and harness discipline. The construction killer, handled out loud.
Read the talk →Ladders: three feet up, three points on
Setup angle, the 3-foot rule, and the climbing habits behind most ladder falls.
Read the talk →Struck-by: trucks and blind spots
Backup alarms, spotters, eye contact, and the dangerous first and last hours.
Read the talk →Ground faults: the GFCI is the seatbelt
Why receptacle power runs through that little breaker, and which cords get cut up.
Read the talk →Trenches: five feet means protection
Cave-in systems, spoil setbacks, ladder access, and when to re-inspect.
Read the talk →Silica: the dust you can't cough out
Wet cutting, vacuum capture, and the housekeeping that keeps lungs clear.
Read the talk →Heat: water, shade, watching each other
Acclimatization, the warning ladder, and why the first hot week is the bad one.
Read the talk →Hard hats and safety glasses
The cheap insurance: when it's required, and when gear stops counting as PPE.
Read the talk →Talks are the habit. Sign-offs are the record.
SiteSafetyHQ handles OSHA recordkeeping for small construction crews today: phone incident intake, recordable-or-not answered with the rule cited, Forms 300/301/300A filled, deadlines watched. Weekly talks with crew sign-offs captured on a phone are shipping next, and every plan will get them.
No card, no demo call. Flat $39 to $199/mo by company size.
Quick answers
Are toolbox talks required by OSHA?
No federal rule requires a weekly talk by that name. OSHA's standards do require training and hazard awareness in many specific areas (see osha.gov/training), and short recurring talks are the construction trade's standard way of keeping that alive on real jobs. Many GCs and insurance carriers contractually expect documented talks, which is why the sign-in sheet matters as much as the talk.
How long should a toolbox talk be?
About five minutes, one topic, and more discussion than lecture. The three questions at the end of each talk are the point: they turn a reading into your crew talking about this job, today.
Do I need to keep records of talks?
There's no general federal filing requirement for talks themselves, but documentation is how you prove the safety program exists when a GC prequal, an insurer, or an inspector asks. Every talk here prints with a crew sign-in sheet; keep them with your safety program records.
How often should we run one?
Weekly is the industry rhythm, and some GCs run daily huddles on their sites. Consistency beats length: five minutes every Monday outworks twenty minutes once a quarter.
Talks are original plain-language writing informed by public-domain OSHA and NIOSH material; federal government works are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). Each talk links the standard behind it. SiteSafetyHQ is an independent product, not affiliated with OSHA. Practice guidance, not legal advice. A five-minute talk is not complete training; your company remains responsible for the training and protections your specific work requires.