Severe Weather Preparedness
Construction and general industry · Ver en español
Talking points
- Lightning: when thunder is heard less than 30 seconds after a lightning flash, stop outdoor work and seek shelter immediately. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming.
- High wind thresholds vary by activity. Cranes typically have limits of 20-30 mph; mast climbers 25-30 mph. Know the limits for your equipment.
- Tornado preparedness: identify the nearest interior room or structure on the lowest floor. Open construction sites may not have adequate shelter — plan your response in advance.
- Heavy rain creates slip hazards, destabilizes excavations, and increases the risk of electrical faults. Reassess conditions before resuming work after a storm.
- Designate a weather watcher — someone monitoring conditions and forecasts who has the authority to call for an evacuation.
Ask the crew
What is the severe weather plan for today — and who is our weather watcher?
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.
Run this talk with your crew and keep the record
In Jobsite, workers sign in on their phones in English or Spanish, and you keep who attended, when, and where, with every other talk your crew has had.
Using an AI assistant? Jobsite's free MCP server serves this library, with OSHA rule text, no sign-in: https://jobsitecerts.com/api/mcp/public (/mcp)
Sign-in sheet
Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.
| Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|
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