Most contractor inductions are run properly and recorded badly. The briefing happens, the contractor signs something, and a year later nobody can say which version they saw or whether their insurance was current that week. This is the checklist that fixes the record, not the briefing.
What a contractor induction is for
A contractor induction tells a third-party worker the things about your site they cannot reasonably know: the hazards, the emergency procedure, the areas they may not enter, the permit rules. It is not a formality, and it is not the same as the toolbox talk delivered before a specific task.
Before arrival
Scope of works agreed and a named owner on your side. Insurance certificate on file with its expiry date recorded, not just the document. Risk assessment and method statement received, with a record of who reviewed them. In Australia, the equivalent is usually a SWMS for high-risk construction work. Competency evidence checked against the task. Permit to work raised where required, with a validity window.
At the door
Sign in against the contractor company as well as the individual. Deliver the induction and record the version. Capture the host, the expected departure time and the areas cleared. Issue a distinguishable badge. Confirm the muster point and log the confirmation. Where the contractor will be working alone, flag them as a lone worker so an overdue sign-out raises an alert.
While on site
Maintain a live list of who is currently on site, by company and by area. Flag anyone past their expected departure. Make that list reachable from a phone, because in an evacuation that is what you will have.
On the way out
Sign out, with an automatic close-off for anyone who forgets. Close the permit. Keep the induction record against the person and the version they saw.
The questions this checklist prepares you for
| The question | Where the answer lives |
|---|
| Who was on site on this date | Sign-in record, with sign-out |
| Which contractor did they work for | Company-level sign-in, not just the person |
| When were they inducted, on which version | Induction record with version stamp |
| Was their insurance current that day | Contractor company record with expiry date |
| Who authorised their access, and where | Host plus cleared areas on the record |
| Was a permit in force | Permit reference and validity window |
Who was on site on this date. Which contractor did they work for. When were they inducted and on which version. Was their insurance current on the day. Who authorised their access, and to which areas. If you can answer all six in minutes, your records are in good shape.
The full checklist with a records template is in our contractor compliance pack.
References
General information, not legal advice. Confirm what applies to your jurisdiction, sector and site.