An educational library of workplace documents — purpose, who completes them, when they are used, typical fields, common mistakes and how they connect. Linked to workplace safety, workplace training, occupations, industries and employment documents. Informational only — template examples, not legal advice or official documents; employers remain responsible and using a document does not guarantee compliance.
What a daily site diary is
A daily site diary is a day-by-day log kept on a site that captures the routine facts of each working day. It builds a continuous narrative that can be referred back to when questions arise about progress, attendance or events.
This page is an educational overview with a simplified example. It is not an official template and not jurisdiction-specific — the employer or site controller decides what the diary records and how.
Purpose
- Record the daily facts of the site: people, work, weather and events.
- Provide a continuous reference for progress and what happened when.
- Capture deliveries, visitors, instructions and notable occurrences.
- Support follow-up of issues raised during the day.
Who completes it
- A site manager, supervisor or appointed person keeps the diary.
- Entries are usually made at the end of each working day.
- The employer or site controller decides what is recorded.
- It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the diary is kept consistently.
When it is used
- Every working day the site is active.
- When notable events occur — deliveries, visitors, delays or incidents.
- Whenever a record of the day’s conditions and activity is useful.
Typical fields
- Date, site, weather and who was present.
- Work carried out and progress against the plan.
- Deliveries received, plant on site and visitors.
- Instructions given, issues raised and any events of note.
- The name and signature of the person making the entry.
- Example fields only — adapt to your site and the applicable law.
Common mistakes
- Filling it in days later from memory rather than each day.
- Recording opinion or blame instead of plain facts.
- Leaving gaps so the record is not continuous.
- Not linking notable events to the reports they should trigger.
Document workflow
A daily site diary runs alongside the day’s operational records: it commonly draws on the pre-start meeting form at the start of the day and the end of shift checklist at the end, and it cross-references events that appear on the shift handover form, near miss cards and any incident report. Over time the diary becomes the spine that connects individual records to specific days.
See the related documents below for what is commonly used with a daily site diary.
Retention (high level)
Site diaries are usually kept for a period set by the employer or contract so the daily record remains available if questions arise later. This page does not state a required period — confirm with the applicable law and the official authority.
Completing and sharing as a PDF
Diary entries are often kept on a daily sheet and stored as PDFs so the running record can be filed and retrieved. Exporting to PDF supports the record; it does not make the diary official or guarantee compliance.
Employer checklist
- Decide what the diary should record for your site.
- Make sure it is kept each day, not reconstructed later.
- Keep entries factual and continuous.
- Ensure notable events also trigger the right separate reports.
Worker notes
- Tell the person keeping the diary about deliveries, visitors and events.
- Report incidents and near misses so they are captured properly.
- Stick to the facts when describing what happened.
Country considerations
Expectations around site records and how long they are kept differ by country, sector and contract, and the official authority is different in each. This page is general and high-level — not a statement of any country’s law and not legal advice.
Confirm current requirements with the official authority for your country and a qualified professional.
Who is responsible
The employer or person in control of the site is responsible for keeping suitable records and for compliance. This page is an educational overview with a template example; it does not determine what your diary must contain and does not transfer responsibility.
Export, edit and share documents
The documents, policies and templates this involves can be exported, edited, signed, stored and shared as PDFs with the HELPERG PDF Editor.
Free, printable HR & employment resources
Practical, ungated resources to put this into action — no signup.