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Reldro

Toolbox talk: backfilling safely

Fill and compact without hurting anyone. About 5 minutes.

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  • About 5 minutes
  • 6 points
  • Attendance recorded in Reldro
A worker in a red jacket walking across foundation forms and footings

Why this matters

Backfilling puts machines and people close together, near an open hole.

What to cover

  1. Make sure no one is in the trench before you place fill.
  2. Use a spotter and a clear signal.
  3. Keep machines back from the edge.
  4. Wear hearing protection near compactors.
  5. Never leave a compactor running unattended.
  6. Check the work for settlement and soft spots.

Ask the crew

  • Who spots for the machine?
  • How do we know the trench is empty?
  • Where do we keep the plate compactor?

One thing to do today

Confirm the trench is clear before the first load goes in.

Use this toolbox talk in Reldro

  • It arrives ready to edit, and your crew uses it on their phone, even without signal.
  • Failed items become corrective actions with an owner and a due date.
  • Every completed one is kept with the site, the date and who did it.
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