On site
What is a site induction?
A site induction is the briefing every person receives before working on a site, covering its specific hazards, rules, layout, emergency arrangements and who to report to.
Use this diagram+
Free to use on your own site, in training material or in a handout, as long as the credit link stays on it. Paste this where you want the diagram to appear.
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<img src="https://buildoptix.co.uk/glossary/site-induction/diagram.svg" alt="site induction — diagram from BuildOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>
<a href="https://buildoptix.co.uk/glossary/site-induction">What is a site induction?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://buildoptix.co.uk">BuildOptix</a>
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</figure>It is site-specific by definition. General safety training belongs to the individual and travels with them; the induction covers what is true of this site — the traffic route, the exclusion zones, where the muster point is, what the alarm sounds like.
It is also the point at which competence and authorisation are checked. Cards, tickets and training records are verified here or not at all, and the record of that check is what shows who was permitted on site.
It has a shelf life. A site that has changed substantially since someone was inducted needs them re-briefed, and long absences are the usual trigger for that.
What goes wrong in practice
- Delivered to a group with a sign-in sheet as the only record of what was covered.
- Card and ticket checks skipped because a subcontractor vouched for their team.
- Never repeated after major changes to the site layout or traffic management.
- Not available in a language every operative on site actually reads.