Tailgate meetings have been held ever since the first tailgate was invented. Before that, who knows what they were called? The fact
is, the concept of the tailgate meeting is not new - it involves gathering a group of workers around the back of a pickup truck or other
location in the field or work area, having some sodas or sweets to hand out, and spending a few minutes going over some important
work-related information.
While a tailgate can provide an excellent setting for a short meeting, there are important principles that must be followed in order
to make the meeting effective. As in any presentation, a consultant must know his or her audience in order to reach them. A presenter
who speaks in technical terms beyond the audience's comprehension, who treats adults like kids, or who makes caustic comments about
audience members' values or beliefs, is going to lose their interest and respect almost immediately.
Our consultants will, to every degree possible:
- Be sensitive to your workers' values.
- Be willing to modify our presentation to take into account different cultures and values systems.
- Provide valuable safety information as it relates to your specific industry and hazards.
Running the meeting effectively means putting all preparation work into final action. Our consultants understand that tailgate
meetings are a unique employee gathering, and that certain principles must be applied to make it work. We will:
- Make it informal
- Keep it focused
- Avoid being too technical
- Be brief (15-30 minutes max)
- Hold meetings consistently
- Use "true-life" examples
Our consultants will come to your location and assist you with your specific job safety analysis/plan (JSA/JSP). We will give a
tailgate safety meeting to all workers involved based on the JSA/JSP. Upon request, at no additional charge, we will also keep a
database of the tailgate safety topics provided for your crew. We can also
provide tailgate safety meetings in Spanish for your Spanish speaking employees.
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