06 Aug Tailboard Meetings: Try a New Approach
Tailboard Meetings
Tailboard meetings have become a common part of everyday life working on towers (hopefully). While it is essential for everyone to take part and ensure they take place each day, they can also become tedious and repetitious. This monotony can often lead to complacency. Complacency has no place when you are working in such a dangerous environment where small mistakes can cost people’s lives.
Suggestion: A Simple Question
I have found during our tower climbing safety & rescue certification training courses that a simple question can make all the difference. As with a Tailboard Meeting in any industry, I make sure everyone understands what we will be doing and where we will be working for the day. Then comes the challenge to the students with a basic question that most fail to answer: “What is the worst situation that any of us could get in and how would we be able to rescue someone from that situation?” That question stumps many experienced and inexperienced climbers as they have become accustomed to a set routine. Tailboard Meetings often are nothing but a lecture without generating conversation or discussion about potential hazards and dangers employees may face. It unfortunately becomes obvious that worst case scenarios are not discussed. Thinking in depth about how bad things could possibly get does shed light on potential hazards and creates more discussion about safer work habits.
Be safe out there!
Nick Bassarab
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