Toolbox Talks — Overview
Pre-work safety briefings recorded with attendance and routed through a cascade sign-off — deliverer to Project Manager to Safety Officer.
Toolbox talks are the short, pre-work safety briefings delivered on site. In PleoStack, a talk records the topic, who attended, and any evidence, then routes through a cascade sign-off — an ordered chain of steps that each have to be signed before the talk closes.
Safety is in beta
Toolbox talks are part of the Safety module, which is in beta — in production and usable, but not yet part of a versioned release of its own.
Logging a Talk
From Safety → Toolbox Talks, click Log talk (or the + button on a phone). The capture panel steps through:
- Topic & location — pick a topic (Working at height & fall protection, Hot work & fire safety, Excavation & trench safety, and more) and note where it was delivered
- Attendance — named attendees, plus a count of unnamed helpers
- Notes & photos — anything worth recording, plus a photo of the sign-in sheet
The Cascade Sign-off
Once delivered, a talk enters a cascade — an ordered chain of steps, each named after a role. By default the chain is deliverer → Project Manager → Safety Officer, and the roles are configurable in Safety Policies. Steps are signed in order, and the talk stays open until the last one is done.
Each step in the cascade either:
- Acknowledges — confirms they've seen it, or
- Approves — formally signs it off (for the final step, depending on policy), or
- Returns — sends it back for changes (offered only while the Allow Return policy is on)
Status Lifecycle
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Logged but not yet delivered — open the talk and press Deliver & submit |
| Delivered / Awaiting sign-off | Delivered and moving through the cascade |
| Closed | Every step signed off — the talk is complete |
| Returned | Sent back with the reviewer's note; press Resubmit to send it through the cascade again |
Returns keep everyone honest
If a reviewer isn't satisfied, they can return the talk. It goes back to the deliverer with the reviewer's note, and Resubmit sends it round the cascade again — nothing is lost, and the history is preserved. The Return button appears only while Allow Return is on in Safety Policies; turn it off and every step can only acknowledge or approve.
Tips
- Photograph the sign-in sheet — attach it as evidence so attendance is auditable
- Use the right topic — consistent topics make safety reporting cleaner
- Watch the Hub — talks awaiting sign-off appear in the needs-attention feed
Next Steps
- Safety Policies — set the cascade roles and final-step mode
- Safety Hub — where talks awaiting sign-off surface
Questions
Can I fix a talk after I've logged it?
Not on the web. Check the topic, attendees and notes before pressing Create talk. A returned talk can only be sent back round as it is, with Resubmit.
Who signs each step of the cascade?
Anyone whose role can approve Safety records can sign the current step, whatever role that step is named after. The same person can sign every step. When a talk reaches a step, the people holding that step's role get a notice in the app and by email; if nobody on the project holds it, everyone who can approve Safety records does. The person who moved the talk on is not told.
Why can't I press Acknowledge?
Your role can't approve Safety records, so the talk shows "Waiting on sign-off from someone with safety approval." Someone whose role can approve needs to sign it.
Can I record a talk I gave yesterday?
There's no date field. A talk is dated when Deliver & submit is pressed, so write the real date in Notes. Attendees are typed names; they don't need a PleoStack account.