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Abstract

Toolbox Talks (TBTs) serve as the primary mechanism for task-level hazard communication on construction sites worldwide; however, their effectiveness in contexts outside North America and Europe remains poorly understood. This paper presents one of the first systematic examinations of TBT practice on Indian construction sites, combining semi-structured interviews with 14 safety professionals and a PRISMA-guided systematic review of 30 international studies spanning more than 10 national contexts. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study identifies structural constraints unique to Indian construction, including multilingual workforces, daily wage employment systems, multi-tier subcontracting, and the legal exposure of site engineers, all of which fundamentally shape how TBTs are enacted. An evidence table captures points of convergence and divergence between Indian practice and the international literature across practices, challenges, and improvement strategies. The findings reveal that while challenges such as compliance-driven delivery and production pressure are globally consistent, their intensity and interaction within the Indian context produce distinct adaptive responses not documented elsewhere. The study challenges the direct transferability of improvements developed primarily in the United States and offers evidence for the need to develop context-specific studies, especially in developing countries.

Keywords

Toolbox Talks, Construction Safety Communication, Indian Workforce Practices, Pre-Task Safety Communication

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