Prestart meeting

The prestart is usually held before work begins each morning, often at the site sheds or a muster point. It is run by the site manager, foreperson or a subcontractor's supervisor, and normally takes 10 to 15 minutes.

The supervisor covers what is happening today, where the risks are and what has changed since yesterday. Workers get the chance to raise issues, then sign the attendance record. On large sites, the builder may run a whole-of-site prestart and each trade then runs its own crew prestart.

The prestart links to the other safety documents on site. The supervisor should confirm that workers on high risk construction work have reviewed and signed the relevant SWMS, that permits for hot works or confined spaces are in place, and that new starters have been inducted. Issues raised at the prestart should be written down and followed up, and the outcome reported back at a later prestart so workers can see their concerns were acted on.

• Today's work. The activities planned and which areas they are in.

• High risk activities. Crane lifts, work at height, excavations, hot works or confined spaces, and the relevant SWMS or permits.

• Site changes. New exclusion zones, changed access routes, scaffold changes or traffic arrangements.

• Trade coordination. Who is working above or next to whom, and shared areas.

• Deliveries and plant. Major deliveries, crane bookings and plant movements.

• Lessons and incidents. Recent incidents, near misses or observations and what has been done about them.

• Weather. Heat, wind or rain that could affect the work plan, and any changes to breaks or work hours as a result.

• Questions. A genuine opportunity for workers to raise concerns.

A prestart is a daily, operational briefing about today's work and today's hazards. A toolbox talk is usually a short session on a single safety topic, such as manual handling or silica dust, held weekly or as needed. Many sites fold a toolbox topic into the prestart on some days.

Neither is specifically required by name in the model WHS laws, but both help meet the duty to consult with workers on health and safety matters, and to give them the information and instruction they need. Many principal contractors make a daily prestart a site rule.

• Reading the same script every day. Workers stop listening. Talk about what is different today.

• One-way briefings. If nobody asks questions or raises issues, it isn't consultation.

• Signing without attending. A sign-on sheet passed around later is worthless as a record.

• Not recording what was said. Keep a note of topics covered, not only who attended.

• Ignoring language barriers. Check workers with limited English understood the key hazards.

• Missing late starters. Workers who arrive after the prestart still need the briefing before they start work.