Cell Phone and Distraction Safety

Talking points

1. Distracted workers get injured. Using a cell phone while walking, climbing, operating equipment, or working near moving machinery takes your attention from the hazards around you.
2. Most construction sites have a cell phone policy — typically limiting phone use to break times and designated areas. Know your site's policy and follow it.
3. Earbuds and headphones reduce your ability to hear warning signals, backup alarms, equipment approaching, and verbal warnings from co-workers. They should not be worn in active work areas.
4. If you need to take or make a call, stop what you are doing, move to a safe location, and complete the call before returning to work. Multitasking with a phone in your hand is not possible in a high-hazard environment.
5. Phones in pockets can be a hazard too — vibrating notifications cause you to check the phone reflexively. Consider putting your phone on 'do not disturb' during active work.

Ask the crew

Is anyone using their phone while working right now — and do we all understand the site phone policy?

Standards this talk is built on

• Section 5(a)(1)

A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.

Sign-in sheet

Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.

© Jobsite. Free to read aloud, print and use in your own crew's safety meetings. Republishing, reselling or bulk-copying these talks is not permitted.