What is a Take 5 (or SLAM, STOP)?
Short answer
A Take 5 — sometimes called SLAM (Stop, Look, Assess, Manage) or STOP — is a 2-3 minute pre-task hazard scan a worker runs before starting work. It is a personal, in-the-field tool: stop, look at the workplace, identify hazards, control them, then start work. RAE IQ supports Take 5 / SLAM / STOP as digital pre-task assessments on phone.
A Take 5 is a quick pre-task hazard assessment a worker does at the point of starting a job. The basic five steps are:
- Stop and engage with the work.
- Think about the task.
- Identify the hazards (what could go wrong, who could be harmed).
- Plan controls (what will I do to prevent or reduce the harm).
- Proceed safely.
Variants include SLAM (Stop, Look, Assess, Manage), STOP (Stop, Think, Observe, Proceed) and JHA (Job Hazard Analysis — usually for slightly longer-form work). The substance is the same: a fast, in-the-field, personal hazard scan.
Take 5 / SLAM / STOP is not a substitute for a SWMS or JSA — those are larger documents for higher-risk or longer-duration work. Take 5 is the daily, person-level discipline that catches hazards SWMS and JSAs don't have time to anticipate.
A common failure mode is the Take 5 becoming a tick-box ritual at the start of shift. RAE IQ's Pre-Task module (feature #24) addresses that by:
- Digital capture on a phone, photo evidence supported.
- Hazard library that gets smarter with use.
- Promotes to a full JSA in one click if the work turns out to need it.
- HRCW (High-Risk Construction Work) detector that flags when the work needs a SWMS as well.
- Aggregates Take 5 hazard data into a trending dashboard so you spot patterns before they cause incidents.