101 Construction Site Safety Topics

Construction is one of the most high-hazard industries you can work in. Demolishing structures, ripping out hazardous materials, working at height, working underground. It's also one of the most varied professions. Every project is different. Every site is different. And every trade faces different challenges.

Regular health and safety toolbox talks can help raise awareness of the various risks your team will be facing on site. And in construction, there are a lot of topics you can cover.

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By covering the different site safety subjects, one at a time, little and often, you can soon raise health and safety awareness amongst your team. And when people know about the risks, and how to control them, they can work safer on site. Here are 101 construction site safety topics you can discuss.

Topics listed in order A-Z

1. Abrasive Wheels
2. Asbestos Awareness
3. Asbestos Surveys
4. Behaviour
5. CDM Client
6. CDM Contractor
7. CDM Designer
8. CDM Domestic Client
9. CDM Principal Contractor
10. CDM Principal Designer
11. CDM Regulations
12. Cement
13. Confined Spaces
14. Construction Site Rules
15. COSHH
16. COSHH Assessment
17. COSHH Symbols
18. Demolition
19. Dermatitis
20. Dust
21. Electrical Equipment
22. Electrical Safety
23. Excavations
24. Exposed Edges
25. Extension Cables
26. Eye Protection
27. Falls
28. Fire Action
29. Fire Extinguishers
30. Fire Prevention
31. Fire Safety in Construction
32. First Aid
33. Flammable Liquids
34. Gas Cylinders
35. Good Housekeeping
36. Hand Protection
37. Hand Tools
38. Hard Hats
39. HAVS
40. Hot Work
41. Induction
42. Ladders
43. Lead
44. Legionella
45. Leptospirosis
46. Lifting Equipment
47. Lifting Operations
48. Lifting Technique
49. Loading
50. Lone Working
51. Manual Handling
52. Method Statement
53. MEWPs
54. Mobile Phones
55. Musculoskeletal Disorders
56. Near Misses
57. Noise At Work
58. Outdoor Working
59. Overhead Services
60. Paint
61. PAT Portable Appliance Testing
62. Permits To Work
63. Personal Hygiene
64. PPE Use
65. Public Protection in Construction
66. Refuelling
67. RIDDOR
68. Risk Assessment
69. Roof Work
70. RPE Use
71. Safety Awareness
72. Safety Benefits
73. Safety Nets
74. Safety Signs
75. Scaffolding
76. Sharps Injury
77. Silica Dust
78. Site Plant
79. Site Security
80. Skip Safety
81. Slips and Trips
82. Slips and Trips Prevention
83. Solvents
84. Step Ladders
85. Sun Exposure
86. Tower Scaffolds
87. Transport Management
88. Trestles
89. Underground Services
90. Vehicle Safety
91. Vibration
92. Violations
93. Waste Management
94. Water Buoyancy Equipment
95. Welfare Facilities
96. Winter Working
97. Wood Dust
98. Work Equipment
99. Work Near Water
100. Working at Height
101. Zero Harm

Phew, that's a lot of construction site safety topics, and I'm sure you can think of more to add to your list! If you're feeling a little overwhelmed, we've picked 5 construction topics, that will apply to nearly all construction work, with links to further information to help get you started.

1. Asbestos

Constructions biggest killer. If you're refurbishing, demolishing or maintaining existing structures, you need to know how to avoid asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibres are deadly if disturbed. Here's a free asbestos awareness toolbox talk to help you cover this topic.

2. Working at Height

Asbestos is the biggest health hazard, but working at height is the biggest safety hazard. Falls from height usually kill more people on construction sites each year than any other safety hazard. And you don't have to be working on the roof of a building to be working at height. If you work up a ladder, on a ledge, or above a pit, your working at height. So this topic applies to more construction projects than you might think.

Make sure your team know about the risks, and how to work safely at height. You can get a working at height toolbox talk to start the conversation, or watch the video below.

3. Construction Site Rules

Every construction site needs some basic safety rules. By putting in place a strong safety foundation, you can build a positive health and safety culture on site (see what we did there?). You can get the rules from the 10 simple construction site rules blog post or download the construction site rules toolbox talk.

4. Risk Assessment

Risk assessments are required by law, and are especially important in riskier activities, like the ones carried out on construction sites. It's important to understand the purpose of risk assessments, and why they need to be followed. And even how to complete one.

5. CDM

While the type of health and safety hazards on each site might change, one thing that doesn't is the law that applies to construction work. CDM (or the Construction Design & Management Regulations) to give its full name, applies to all construction projects, big and small. Know your duties and the responsibilities of each member of the project team. For the client, principal contractor, principal designer, contractors and designers.

Go ahead, start a safety talk, we've prepared 30 free toolbox talks for you to download today. Or join us on the Talks Plan for online access to all toolbox talks for you and your team.