Workflow Template

Toolbox Talk Workflow

Captures a supervisor's pre-work toolbox talk (topic, hazards, attendance, absentees, action items), records it against a talk record, and manages follow-up tasks for briefing absent workers and closing out action items through to closure.

Organisations running regular pre-work toolbox talks need a consistent way to capture what was briefed, who attended, and what still requires follow-up, rather than relying on paper sheets that are difficult to track across sites and supervisors. This workflow turns a supervisor's submitted briefing form into a toolbox talk record that moves through defined statuses — Recorded, Briefing Absentees, Actions Open and Closed — as absent workers are briefed and action items are completed. Supervisors submit the initial form and complete follow-up tasks, while action owners are assigned tasks for closing out items raised during the talk.

Business Outcomes

Supports more consistent capture of toolbox talk topics, hazards and attendance across sites and supervisors
Helps reduce the chance of absent workers starting work without being briefed on hazards and controls
Improves visibility of open action items and their progress toward closure
Gives supervisors and managers a clear status view of each talk from Recorded through to Closed
Reduces reliance on paper attendance sheets by centralising talk details on a single tracked record

Workflow Steps

Steps

1
Create toolbox talk recordcreate record
Creates the toolbox talk record from the supervisor's submitted briefing form.
2
Set status to Recordedupdate record
Sets the talk status to Recorded now that the briefing has been logged.
3
Email acknowledgement to supervisorsend email
Sends the supervisor an acknowledgement email confirming the toolbox talk was recorded, with its reference number.
4
Check for absent workers
Routes to the absentee briefing process if any workers were absent from the talk.
workers_absent: "Yes"→Set status to Briefing Absentees
workers_absent: "No"→Check for action items
Default→Check for action items
5
Set status to Briefing Absenteesupdate record
Sets the talk status to Briefing Absentees to reflect that absent workers still need to be briefed.
6
Task: brief absent workerscreate task
Creates a task for the supervisor to brief the absent workers before they start work, due in 2 days, and blocks until completed.
7
Save absentee briefing detailsupdate record
Saves the record of who was briefed and when to the toolbox talk record.
8
Check for action items
Routes to the action item follow-up process if action items were raised during the talk.
has_action_items: "Yes"→Set status to Actions Open
has_action_items: "No"→Set status to Closed
Default→Set status to Closed
9
Set status to Actions Openupdate record
Sets the talk status to Actions Open while the raised action items are being completed.
10
Task: complete action itemscreate task
Creates a task for the action owner to complete the raised action items, due in 7 days, and blocks until completed.
11
Save completed action itemsupdate record
Saves the record of completed action items to the toolbox talk record.
12
Email supervisor that actions are completesend email
Emails the supervisor to confirm that the action items raised in the toolbox talk have been completed.
13
Set status to Closedupdate record
Sets the talk status to Closed once absentee briefing and action items (if any) have been handled.

Fields

Show all 18 fields

FormToolbox Talk Briefing Form

Supervisor Name*· Text
Supervisor Email*· Email
Date*· Date
Site*· Text
Topic*· Text
Work Context*· Long text
Key Hazards and Controls*· Long text
Attendees*· Long text
Attendance Sheet Upload*· File upload
Questions Raised· Long text
Were any workers absent?*· Choice
Absent Worker Names· Long text
Are there action items?*· Choice
Action Items· Long text

TaskTask: brief absent workers

Absentees Briefed (Names)· Long text
Absentees Briefed (Date)· Date

TaskTask: complete action items

Actions Completed Notes· Long text

Other fields

Talk Status· Choice

Supervisor Name*
Supervisor Email*
Date*
Site*
Topic*
Work Context*

Forms

Toolbox Talk Briefing Form

14 fields

Data Views

Toolbox Talks

talk_date, site, topic, talk_status

Dashboard Widgets

Toolbox Talks by Status

Recommended integrations

Setup the following integrations to extend workflow capability.

Send email in the workflow
AWS SES

toolbox talksafety meetingpre start meetingsafety briefingworker acknowledgement

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FAQs

What does this workflow record for each toolbox talk?

Each toolbox talk becomes a record with a reference number, capturing the supervisor, date, site, topic, work context, key hazards and controls, attendees, and any questions raised during the briefing. As the record progresses, it also captures who was briefed among absent workers and when, along with details of any action items and their completion status. The full sequence of status changes and task activity is kept in the record's timeline.

Who is involved in running a toolbox talk through this workflow?

The supervisor submits the initial briefing form covering the talk details, hazards, attendance and any absentees or action items. If workers were absent, the supervisor is assigned a task to brief them before they start work. If action items are raised, the action owner is assigned a task to complete them, and the supervisor receives a confirmation email once that task is done.

What happens if no workers were absent from the talk?

The workflow checks the 'Were any workers absent?' answer on the submitted form. If the answer is No, the record skips the absentee briefing task and status, moving directly to the check for action items. This keeps the record's status and timeline reflecting only the steps that are actually relevant to that talk.

What happens if there are no action items from the talk?

The workflow checks the 'Are there action items?' answer from the submission. If the answer is No, the status change to Actions Open and the action item task are skipped, and the record moves toward being set to Closed once any absentee briefing has been handled. This means a straightforward talk with full attendance and no follow-up items can be closed with minimal delay.

How is the absentee briefing task tracked?

When workers were absent, the record status changes to Briefing Absentees and a task is created for the supervisor, due in 2 days, asking who was briefed and the date and time it occurred. The workflow waits for this task to be completed before continuing, and the entered details are saved directly on the toolbox talk record. This gives a visible record of when absent workers were caught up on hazards and controls.

How is the action item follow-up task tracked?

When action items are raised, the record status changes to Actions Open and a task is created for the action owner, due in 7 days, to record which actions were completed. The workflow waits for this task before proceeding, and the completed actions are saved on the record. Once complete, the supervisor is emailed a confirmation before the record is set to Closed.

How do we change what the request form or tasks ask for?

Changes to the workflow, including the fields on the request form or the details captured in the absentee briefing and action item tasks, can be made by describing the change in plain English or by editing the steps directly in the workflow editor. Earlier versions of the workflow are kept, so previous configurations remain available for reference. This allows the toolbox talk process to be adjusted as site requirements evolve without a development project.

Can the toolbox talk record be reviewed after it is closed?

Yes, each toolbox talk record retains its reference number, final status of Closed, and a full timeline of what happened, including the briefing details, absentee follow-up, and action item completion. Table views and dashboards allow closed records to be reviewed alongside talks still in progress. Businesses should confirm their own record-keeping obligations for how long this information needs to be retained.

How do supervisors and action owners receive their tasks and notifications?

Supervisors submit the initial briefing through a public request form and receive email notifications, such as the acknowledgement with the reference number and the action item completion confirmation, without needing an account. Tasks for briefing absentees and completing action items are assigned to team members within the workspace and appear in the workspace's task list until completed.

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