Speed Control Toolbox Talk

Speed is a major factor in jobsite incidents. Trucks, loaders, forklifts, skid steers, telehandlers, and pickups can all cause serious injuries when they move too fast for the ground conditions, visibility, traffic, or work area.

This talk focuses on controlling speed around workers, equipment, materials, access roads, blind spots, and changing site conditions. The goal is to slow down before a situation becomes an emergency.

Why This Matters

• Higher speed gives operators less time to see hazards and react safely.
• Vehicles and equipment need more distance to stop when loaded, traveling downhill, or moving on wet, muddy, icy, or loose ground.
• Fast turns can cause rollovers, dropped loads, struck-by incidents, or loss of control.
• Pedestrians may not hear or see moving equipment until it is too close.
• Controlling speed protects workers, operators, materials, nearby structures, and public traffic around the site.

Common Hazards

• Driving too fast through tight access roads, laydown yards, parking areas, or staging zones.
• Speeding near crews working on foot, spotters, flaggers, delivery drivers, or visitors.
• Taking corners too quickly with forklifts, telehandlers, loaders, skid steers, or trucks.
• Traveling fast with raised forks, suspended loads, full buckets, or unsecured materials.
• Failing to slow down at blind corners, building entrances, gates, ramps, intersections, and crossings.
• Assuming the posted speed limit is safe when weather, dust, mud, slopes, lighting, or congestion has changed.
• Following other vehicles too closely on haul roads, site roads, or public access points.
• Driving over plates, curbs, hoses, debris, ruts, or uneven ground without reducing speed first.

Safety Checklist

Before Work Begins

• Review the site traffic plan, posted speed limits, one-way routes, pedestrian paths, and restricted areas.
• Check brakes, steering, mirrors, lights, backup alarms, horns, cameras, and seat belts before use.
• Confirm haul roads, ramps, entrances, and access routes are firm, clear, and wide enough for safe travel.
• Identify blind spots, tight turns, overhead hazards, slopes, trench edges, and areas with heavy foot traffic.
• Secure loads and lower forks, buckets, or attachments before traveling.

During Work

• Drive at a speed that allows you to stop safely for workers, equipment, barriers, traffic, or changing ground conditions.
• Slow down before turns, ramps, slopes, intersections, gates, doorways, and congested areas.
• Use a spotter when visibility is blocked or the travel path is tight.
• Keep safe following distance from other vehicles and equipment.
• Reduce speed when carrying loads, towing, traveling downhill, operating on uneven ground, or moving near edges.
• Obey posted speed limits, but slow down more when conditions call for it.
• Stop and reset if workers, materials, dust, glare, rain, mud, or poor lighting make the route unclear.

Crew Talking Points

• Where are the tightest or busiest travel areas on site today?
• What routes will trucks, equipment, deliveries, and pedestrians use?
• Are any areas affected by mud, ice, dust, poor lighting, slopes, or uneven ground?
• Where do we need spotters, signs, cones, barricades, or temporary speed control?
• What equipment or loads today require extra stopping distance?
• Does anyone have a concern about speeding, traffic flow, blind spots, or unsafe driving on this site?

Stop Work If

• Drivers or operators are moving too fast for the work area or conditions.
• Pedestrians and vehicles are not separated where needed.
• Visibility is blocked by dust, rain, glare, darkness, equipment, materials, or blind corners.
• Roads, ramps, or work surfaces are too slick, soft, narrow, steep, or damaged for safe travel.
• Loads are unsecured, raised too high, or affecting steering, braking, or balance.
• Traffic controls, signs, cones, barricades, or spotters are missing where they are needed.

Final Reminder

Speed control is a choice made before something goes wrong. Slow down, keep space, and drive for the conditions in front of you.