Free toolbox talks
40 ready-to-read safety talks for construction crews. Each one has the key points to read out, questions to ask, and a sign-in sheet your crew signs on the phone.
Are toolbox talks required in Australia?
The WHS laws do not use the words "toolbox talk", but they require you to consult workers about health and safety and to give them the information, training and instruction they need. A short, recorded toolbox talk is the everyday way most builders show they have done both.
Principal contractors often make a weekly talk a site rule, and keeping the signed attendance sheet is your evidence that the crew was told.
Full talks with quiz and real incidents
Ladder SafetyIn February 2022, a man helping on a construction site in Cheltenham, Victoria, was climbing down an unsecured ladder leaning against a steel mezzanine frame when it moved.Working at HeightsIn April 2023, a labourer was replacing roof sheets on a factory in Campbellfield, Victoria, without a harness.Electrical Safety on SiteIn April 2023, a WorkSafe inspector at a townhouse site in Elwood, Victoria, found metal scaffolding within 10 centimetres of a live power cable and ordered two workers off straight away.Silica DustIn October 2020, a WorkSafe inspector found a worker at a Knoxfield factory in Victoria dry polishing an engineered stone slab with no water, no dust extraction and no ventilation.Heat StressIn October 2017, two workers and a supervisor in Western Australia spent two days walking more than 16 kilometres a day across rugged Pilbara country in temperatures above 37 degrees.Before You Dig: Underground ServicesIn January 2023, workers digging in a nature strip in Bentleigh East, Victoria, to lay internet conduit hit an underground gas pipe.
Working at height
Electrical
Health
Silica Dust14 key points · 5 questionsAsbestos Awareness11 key points · 5 questionsManual Handling and Back Safety9 key points · 4 questionsHearing Protection and Noise8 key points · 4 questionsHand-Arm Vibration13 key points · 5 questionsFatigue Management8 key points · 4 questionsMental Health and Suicide Prevention9 key points · 4 questionsDrugs and Alcohol on Site8 key points · 4 questions
Chemicals and dust
Weather
Site safety
Slips, Trips and Falls9 key points · 4 questionsPPE: Personal Protective Equipment9 key points · 4 questionsHot Works Safety9 key points · 4 questionsExcavation and Trench Safety13 key points · 5 questionsBefore You Dig: Underground Services12 key points · 5 questionsWorking Near Traffic8 key points · 4 questionsStruck-By Hazards12 key points · 5 questionsConfined Spaces9 key points · 4 questionsNear Miss Reporting8 key points · 4 questions
Plant and machinery
Tools
Emergency
More help
What is a SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement)?GuideHow to write a SWMS, step by stepGuideSWMS risk matrix: the 5x5 likelihood and consequence tableGuideSWMS vs JSA: what is the difference?GuideFree SWMS templateWord and PDFSWMS questions answeredSafety terms explainedLadder setup calculatorFree toolWhat changed in 2026Rule changes with sourcesAll Australia guidesContact us