Contractor Safety Checklist

Educational workplace-safety awareness — connected to industries, occupations, employment law, employment documents and company types. Informational only — not legal advice and not a substitute for mandatory workplace safety training; employers remain responsible for compliance, training and worker authorization.

What this checklist is for

A contractor safety checklist prompts the steps for bringing contractors onto site safely — checking they are inducted, that risks are shared in both directions, and that high-risk work has the right controls, permits and supervision arranged.

This template is a free, editable starting point to adapt to your site. It is not a substitute for a proper risk assessment, for coordinating with contractors as the law requires, or for the official authority’s guidance. Both your organisation and the contractor have safety duties — the checklist supports coordination but does not transfer or satisfy them.

What a good version typically covers

• Contractor and job details, scope of work and the dates on site.
• Site induction covering alarms, exits, assembly points and site rules.
• Exchange of risk information: your hazards and the contractor’s method statement.
• Any permits required for high-risk work, such as hot work or work at height.
• PPE required for the areas and tasks involved.
• Equipment, isolation and access arrangements, and who supervises the work.
• Sign-in and sign-out so contractors are accounted for and in evacuation plans.
• How concerns and incidents are reported during the work.

How to use and adapt it

• Share your site hazards and rules, and obtain the contractor’s risk information.
• Confirm the contractor is competent for the work before it starts.
• Arrange any permits and controls for high-risk tasks in advance.
• Agree who supervises the work and how issues are escalated.
• Include contractors in sign-in, headcount and evacuation arrangements.
• Keep completed checklists with your contractor and safety records.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the contractor will manage safety alone with no coordination.
• Letting high-risk work start without the required permits or controls.
• Failing to exchange risk information in both directions.
• Leaving contractors out of evacuation and headcount arrangements.
• Treating the checklist as a substitute for the risk assessment or legal duties.

Preparing and sharing the checklist

You can export the template, adapt it to your site and the job, complete it before work starts and share it as a PDF so both sides agree the arrangements. Keep completed checklists with your contractor records.

A contractor safety checklist supports coordination; it does not replace your risk assessment, the duty to cooperate and coordinate with contractors, or the official authority’s guidance. Both parties keep their safety duties — confirm what applies with the official safety authority.