Contractor induction template: base template and example

Why induct contractors

• Safe Work Australia says that when more than one business has a duty for the same work, such as a site and its contractors, they must consult, cooperate and coordinate with each other.
• For labour hire, Safe Work Australia's labour hire guide explains that the host business and the labour hire provider both have duties to the workers.
• Rules vary by state and territory, and some sites and principal contractors have extra induction requirements. See what applies in each state below.

Contractor rules in your state

The duty to consult and coordinate with contractors applies everywhere, but licences, cards and guidance come from each state's regulator. We're not a regulator, so check yours:

• Victoria: Victoria has its own OHS laws. If contractors will do construction work on your site, such as building alterations, they generally need a construction induction card (white card). See WorkSafe Victoria's white card page

• New South Wales: SafeWork NSW

• Queensland: WorkSafe Queensland

• South Australia: SafeWork SA

• Western Australia: WorkSafe WA

• Tasmania: WorkSafe Tasmania

• Northern Territory: NT WorkSafe

• Australian Capital Territory: WorkSafe ACT

High risk work licences, such as forklift, EWP and crane licences, are issued by each state but recognised across Australia. Check the licence covers the work. For the national rules on working with other businesses, see Safe Work Australia's consultation duties guidance

What a good induction covers

• WorkSafe Victoria lists site risks, hazard and incident reporting, supervision, procedures, first aid and facilities, security, and how to raise issues as things to check an induction covers.
• Record who attended and have it signed. WorkSafe Victoria suggests both the site's representative and the worker sign the induction record.
• Cover the jobs the contractor will actually do, including any permits to work, isolations or high risk work, and check their licences and tickets.

Contractor hazards and the controls to match

Every site is different, but these are contractor hazards that often get missed, with the kind of control the induction should cover for each:

• Contractors not knowing your site's hazards, such as ammonia, forklifts, hot surfaces or chemical stores: show them, don't just list them.

• Contractors' work creating hazards for your workers, such as welding, grinding, dust or noise: agree barriers, permits and timing before work starts.

• Working on plant without isolating it: take them through your lockout and permit to work system, and who issues permits.

• Not knowing what to do in an emergency: show the exits, assembly area, alarms and first aid, and who the wardens are.

• Contractors wandering into areas they don't need to be in: tell them where they can and can't go, and how they sign in and out.

• Licences, tickets or insurance that have expired: sight them on the day, not just at tender.

• Labour hire or subcontractors who weren't inducted: induct everyone who comes on site, not just the company's lead hand.

• Language or literacy barriers: check people understood, and use an interpreter or visual aids where needed.

What to include in a contractor induction

• The contractor company, site, date and who ran the induction
• The topics covered, such as site rules, emergency procedures and PPE
• Your permit to work system, and how to report hazards and incidents
• Speed limits, parking, amenities and environmental rules
• Each attendee's name, company, licence or ticket, and signature
• A confirmation that attendees understood the induction, and sign-off by the inductor

Common gaps in a contractor induction

Before contractors start, check the induction record doesn't have these gaps. Your site or principal contractor may look for more:

• It records that the induction happened, but not which topics were covered.

• Licence and ticket numbers aren't recorded, or nobody checked expiry dates.

• There's no signature from each attendee, only from the crew's supervisor.

• It's a one-off record, with no re-induction when the site, the work or the rules change.

• Nobody from your site signed it, so it's not clear who ran it.

Filled-in contractor induction example

Example only, not for use as your own induction record. This is the base template filled in for a fictional crew: three refrigeration contractors and an apprentice working in a food plant's cool rooms. Click the page to enlarge it.

Your own induction must cover your site's actual hazards and rules. Keep the signed record, and re-induct when the site or the work changes.

How to fill one in

1. Fill in the contractor company, the site or project, the date and who's running the induction.
2. Walk through each topic on site, and tick it off as you cover it.
3. Check each attendee's licences and tickets for the work they'll do.
4. Have each attendee confirm they understood, then sign in.
5. Sign it off as the inductor, and keep the record with your site's WHS records.

Get your contractor induction into the app

This form is in the Shadow Forms app. Your team can fill it in on site, add photos and sign it, then send it straight to the office.

The PDF and Word versions are copies only. If you have your own branded version, or want this one adjusted to your business, we can add it to the app. Upload a form, or get in touch.

Need to record a quality issue? Get the free non-conformance report template.

Had an incident on site? Get the free root cause analysis template.