Free field guide

Trade by Trade: The Task That Hurts People in Every Trade

Most people who get hurt on the job aren't doing something new. They're doing the task they've done a hundred times, on the day they skip one step. Every trade has that task. This guide names it for 12 trades, with the hazard and the control that stops it.

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Free. 10 pages, US Letter. No email needed.

Cover of the Trade by Trade field guide

What's inside

  • 12 trades: electrician, ironworker, roofer, welder, equipment operator, trench and utility crew, carpenter, scaffold builder, laborer, plumber and pipefitter, painter, and crane and rigging crew.
  • For each one: the task, the hazard, and the control that stops it.
  • A one-page toolbox talk checklist you can print and run with your crew, with a sign-in.

Use it for a toolbox talk, a pre-task plan, or a walk with your crew. Plan the task. Name the hazard. Put the control in before the work starts.

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A new trade every week

Starting November 2, I'll feature one trade a week on social. Follow along on LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok or Threads.

Important: This guide is general safety guidance for awareness and training. It is not legal advice and does not replace your site's procedures, a qualified person's judgment, or the applicable regulations. Always follow your employer's procedures and the OSHA standard that applies to your work (or MSHA, DOT/FMCSA or other agency rules where they govern). Requirements vary by task, equipment and state.

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