Ep. 550 OSHA Requirements for Weekly Safety Meetings

Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley and Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby sit down to discuss OSHA’s Requirements for weekly safety meetings.

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Burley

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brenda Colby

Editor: Jadyn Brandt

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production

© Copyright 2025. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive. 

I’m your host, Alyssa Burley, and today I’m joined by Brenda Colby, Client Technology Specialist with Rancho Mesa, and we’re going to discuss OSHA’s Requirements for weekly safety meetings.

Brenda, welcome to the show.

Brenda Colby: Hi Alyssa, happy to be here.

AB:  Brenda, so we’re here in California and talk a lot about our SafetyOne™ platform for administering an effective safety program. One of the features that we offer is an extensive library of toolbox talks designed to make weekly safety meeting easy. And while we promote their regular usage, are weekly safety meetings, like toolbox talks, tailgate talks, whatever you call them, required by OSHA?

BC: That’s a great question. At the federal level, OSHA doesn’t require employers to hold weekly safety meetings, but that doesn’t mean they’re optional from a best practices perspective. Weekly safety meetings give teams a consistent time and space to address risks and learn new safety techniques. They’re preventative and that’s where their real value lies.

Now, it’s worth noting that some states and even specific industries, do have OSHA-related requirements around safety meetings. So, employers need to check their state’s OSHA program to make sure they’re compliant where they operate.

AB: Yeah and in California, OSHA requires these meetings at least every 10 days. So, if you’re in a state where weekly safety meetings aren’t required, what are the benefits for the employer and what do the employees get out of these meetings?

BC: Well for employers, weekly safety meetings are a chance to: check in with crews, mitigate any potential hazards, and protect the business — because let’s face it, a single incident can cost a lot.

For employees, these meetings are their time to: ask questions, learn or revisit safe work practices, and get reminders on procedures they use every day.

AB: Alright, so let’s say a company wants to get better at this. What does a good safety meeting actually look like?

BC: First, make it easy for everyone to show up. That means holding the meeting right on the jobsite, either at the start of a shift or right after a break. Don’t make people go out of their way.

AB: Right, and no one wants to walk across the site in the heat or delay work because the meeting is in the trailer on the other side of the property.

BC: Exactly. Next, make it relevant. Don’t just pull a random topic. Choose something that applies directly to your industry or the work being done that day or week. If a near miss or an incident has just happened, that’s your topic.

AB: And Rancho Mesa’s SafetyOne™ mobile app is great for this. It has 788 toolbox talk topics for all kinds of industries like landscaping, tree care, construction, drivers, and more.

And also, people can sign up for our weekly toolbox talks, whether it's driver training, specific to landscape or tree care.

BC: Yeah, and that’s a lot of content to pull from—more than enough to come up with a topic for each work-week of the year. Also, our clients have the capability of creating their own toolbox talks within our SafetyOne platform.

So third, keep it practical. Don’t just talk about the topic, show employees how it’s done. Use the time to demonstrate proper PPE use or safe handling of equipment. Make the advice real and useful on that jobsite, not just general rules. And invite employees to share personal experiences, they’ve probably seen or lived through the hazard you’re talking about.

AB: Right, and when someone says, “this actually happened to me,” that definitely helps it stick in their minds.

BC: Exactly, and engagement is also key so ask questions and keep people involved. The SafetyOne toolbox talks usually include built-in questions, so use them to spark discussion or check understanding.

And finally, keep it short. Aim for 10 to 15 minutes, max. You don’t need a long lecture. The idea is to make safety meetings part of the workday, not something that disrupts it.

AB: Yeah, exactly. Brenda, that’s all really solid advice, and weekly safety meetings might not sound too exciting, but they’re clearly one of the most powerful ways to reduce risk and build a stronger safety culture.

BC: Absolutely. And they’re low-cost, high-impact, and when done right, they really work.

AB: So Brenda, if listeners have questions about accessing toolbox talks for their weekly safety meetings, what’s the best way to get in contact with you?

BC: Well as always, clients can contact me at bcolby@ranchomesa.com or call me directly at (619) 486-6562. 

AB: Brenda, thank you for joining me in StudioOne™. 

BC: Thanks for having me.

AB: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at RanchoMesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.