For bigger topics like heat stress or properly using fall protection equipment, you could also distribute factsheets or brochures with more in-depth information. You might, for instance, print a hand-out with an overview of the safety procedures being discussed to give to employees. If you’ll be using supplementary materials, make sure you plan ahead so that you don’t eat up part of the safety moment (or the subsequent start of the work day) getting set up. If you’re presenting information to your workers, make sure that your presentation is no more than two or three minutes long to make sure there is time for questions, comments, and discussion. Safety moments should be brief – about three to five minutes. These tend to be impromptu and are only held as needed. The exception are the brief safety huddles following an incident. This is the best way to make sure they don’t fall by the wayside or are poorly attended because some workers are caught up in their work tasks or dealing with clients or customers.

Safety moments should be scheduled regularly.

This normalizes safety and helps strengthen the workplace’s safety culture. The safety moment doesn’t just provide information it also demonstrates the speaker’s commitment to safety. Whether it’s always making sure the first aid kit is properly stocked, doing regular inspections of fall protection harnesses, or paying more attention to their surroundings while moving through the workplace, a good safety moment gives the listeners an actionable takeaway. The goal of the safety moment is some action on the part of the workers. They give a narrative that the listener can identify with and packages the lesson in a story rather than presenting it in the abstract. While they’re not essential, personal stories do tend to make safety moments more memorable. It can simply be a discussion of procedures and policies, but it could also involve sharing personal experiences and extracting a lesson from them. How the information is delivered is also open.

Short safety moments