Pre-Start Meeting Form

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 pre-start meeting form is

A pre-start meeting form is the record of the daily or shift-opening meeting where the team agrees what will be done, who is doing it and what the main hazards and constraints are. It turns a quick huddle into a documented plan.

This page is an educational overview with a simplified example. It is not an official template and not jurisdiction-specific — the employer decides what the meeting must cover and how it is recorded.

Purpose

• Agree the plan, priorities and allocation of work for the day or shift.
• Confirm the main hazards and the controls in place.
• Raise constraints — access, weather, plant, deliveries or other teams.
• Give everyone a shared starting point before work begins.

Who completes it

• A supervisor, foreman or team lead runs the meeting and records it.
• The team contributes the issues and concerns they can see.
• The employer decides who leads and what must always be covered.
• It is the employer’s responsibility to make sure the meeting is meaningful.

When it is used

• At the start of each day or shift before work begins.
• When the plan, the team or the hazards change during the day.
• Before a new phase of work or a particularly high-risk activity.

Typical fields

• Date, shift, area and who attended.
• The plan and priorities for the period.
• Main hazards, controls and any interfaces with other teams.
• Constraints: access, plant, deliveries, weather.
• Actions agreed and who owns them.
• Example fields only — adapt to your work and the applicable law.

Common mistakes

• Holding the meeting but not capturing the plan or actions.
• Talking through tasks without naming the hazards and controls.
• Ignoring how the team’s work interacts with others on site.
• No follow-up on the actions agreed.

Document workflow

A pre-start meeting form opens the working day and connects several records: it commonly follows the shift handover form from the previous shift and the day’s daily site diary, and it leads into task briefings and toolbox talks for the specific jobs ahead. Actions agreed may feed the end of shift checklist and any follow-up reports.

See the related documents below for what is commonly used with and completed after a pre-start meeting.

Retention (high level)

Pre-start meeting records are usually kept for a period set by the employer so the daily plan and decisions can be traced. This page does not state a required period — confirm with the applicable law and the official authority.

Completing and sharing as a PDF

Pre-start records are often kept on a single sheet and stored as PDFs alongside the day’s documentation. Exporting to PDF supports the record; it does not make the meeting official or guarantee compliance.

Employer checklist

• Decide what the pre-start meeting must always cover.
• Make sure hazards and interfaces are discussed, not just tasks.
• Capture the plan, attendees and actions agreed.
• Follow up on actions so they do not get lost.

Worker notes

• Attend, contribute and raise anything that concerns you.
• Be clear on your tasks, the hazards and who else is working nearby.
• Follow up on any action assigned to you.

Country considerations

Expectations around planning, briefing and coordinating work differ by country and sector, 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 is responsible for planning and coordinating work safely, for the quality of the meeting and for keeping records, and for compliance. This page is an educational overview with a template example; it does not determine what your meeting must cover and does not transfer responsibility.