What is a Site Induction?
Online Induction >> What is a Site Induction?Published 25/08/2025
Important site specific knowledge and safety, HR and site training materials you need to ensure contractors, employees and visitors to acknowledge and understand before they arrive and begin working in a workplace are commonly the components of a site induction.
It's a site specific induction, specifically related to what you need to know about working at the specific work site and workplace location. It might form part of a company wide induction process where you go through a general induction into the organisation and then a follow step about site specific materials and it can help reduce poor safety outcomes for your workforce. A site induction might be part of your wider contractor management system, it might consist of a contractor induction and even be applicable for visitors and employees with an employee induction or a visitor induction.
Many organisations set up a organisation wide induction which covers the basics of HR and safety across the entire organisation. But what about the important specific workplace contacts and information that workers need to know about?
This specific information might range from emergency assembly point details, maps of the site, local emergency contact details, site access details, emergency procedures, locations of emergency equipment, medical supplies on site, communication equipment on site and a listing of hazards to be aware of while working on site.
Many organisations setup multiple site inductions, covering different hazards and site specific risks for each workplace location.
Best way to deliver a Site Induction
Site Inductions traditionally were conducted face to face but these days online is the preferred method, especially in light of a global pandemic. It's easier to distribute to staff on bulk, ensure that a consistent induction is delivered and most critically, you can measure and track that staff have actually completed the induction and demonstrated competency in it. Ensuring that staff have completed the site induction BEFORE they arrive on site is also critical as the information in it will help prepare them for the site around areas such as site access, procedures to follow through to ensuring their own safety and that of their co-workers. The site induction is the first thing a new employee or contractor is walked through as part of their first stage of work in a new organisation or workplace. It might include a site tour, awareness of site specific safety and HR procedures and acknowledgement that they understand all these areas.They will be typically done by all employees, contractors and visitors on their first day or before they start working on site.
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Common Site Induction Topics
The most common site induction topics include:
Site layout tour Site specific hazards Introduction to the site Site location Site access control Site emergency locations Emergency contacts and procedures Location of fire extinguishers How to report a hazard How to report an incident Site specific policies and procedures
Site Induction Plan
A site induction plan might be an overall ongoing induction strategy that covers the entire probation period of a new starter. There may be pre-day 1 induction activities to prepare the new starter for their job role, day 1 actions where they are inducted on workflows relating to their first week and being job ready. Ongoing checks and reviews to ensure they are progressing well in the subsequent weeks through to an end of probation period check to evaluate if they have fulfilled their induction goals in the last six months and are suitable for continuing on past their probation period.
The induction plan might also be part of an overall goal of moving an employee from a novice to a competent or even expert level staff member.
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What role types are doing site inductions?
Site inductions are for contractors, employees, suppliers and visitors. Typically, each role type will do an induction that covers the level of detail needed for that role to work safely on site. A contractor induction for example might be much more comprehensive collecting insurances, safe work method statement, evidence of training and tickets or licenses compared to a site induction for a visitor which might be much more basic with a shorter presentation on emergency procedures or colleting their next of kin contact details.A site induction for a visitor might involve firstly going through a visitor sign in system before progressing through a visitor site induction on hazards to be aware of, emergency procedures to follow, how to report an incident, a prescreening form on health history and going through a safety induction. A contractor might have a similar site induction workflow but typically does their induction before they arrive on site in order to allow them more time to progress through comphrensive materials and provide the documentation needed to be verified and allowed to work on site.
Suppliers providing a product through delivery drivers are often required to complete a site induction (a smaller scale induction) if they are required to enter an area of the site. These inductions may include emergency procedures, restricted areas, and contact points for assistance details.
Example Site Induction Scenario
Think about a construction site where a construction site induction is needed before you can start work on site. There might be different construction sites that a contractor works at and each one may have different site rules, risks and hazards to be aware of, policies to acknowledge, site procedures to be aware of and important safety documentation to be collected and verified before they can enter on site. An induction card will be issued upon successful completion of the site induction. This can then be carried for entry to each construction site.Site Inductions prepare workers for the specific site they are working at
A well-executed induction program is more than a welcome newcomers, they equip workers with vital information about the site's unique challenges, safety protocols, and operational procedures for their specific work environment. Site inductions prepare workers for the specific site they are working at by tailoring information to the nuances of each location. Whether it's an office, store or a construction site, each site will have its own unique requirements, layout, risks, hazards and training for the worker to be aware of. Whether it's a skyscraper in the heart of a city or a remote farm on rugged terrain, every site has its own set of rules and expectations.What happens when workers don't do a Site Induction?
The outcomes aren't great, the absence of proper site inductions can lead to a variety of issues that compromise both worker safety and project efficiency. You end up with workers arriving on site that are unprepared, causing delays and an increased risk of mistakes, injuries or damages. Uninducted arrivals will have received no site specific readyness and from the moment they enter the site, they'll be unaware of important site specific safety, policies or procedures. Without having done a site induction, they won't be aware of any hazards that are present on site which becomes a major safety risk and when something does go wrong they won't be ready to take action (i.e. how do they report a incident?).Mobile Site Induction Example
Try scanning the below QR code for an example site induction
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Best Site Induction Design
The best way to design a site induction is to setup a multi step process that walks the new arrival through the important areas of your work site. This structure might start with an online form to capture their important details such as company, personal contact details, expected time on site, medical issues that could affect their role, emergency contact details and even evidence to training and certifications. From there you would walk them through important site specific content such as a site induction about site access, hazards, site safety procedures, how to report an incident, floor plan, emergency locations and site management. Topics might be role specific, safety specific and organisation specific. Following this you might include site specific check lists, document libraries and then making sure they have understand and acknowledge everything through an assessment.
See how an online site induction program can work for your organisation by looking at the online demo via the form above or
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Written by Dr Jeremy Nunn
Founder, CEO View Profile |
