Workplace Induction Checklist

It is broader than the contractor induction, because the new employee is staying: the company policy, the reporting lines, the welfare, as well as the site hazards and the emergency. Work through it section by section on the first day, sign the block, and file it. The role-specific section is where the induction is tailored, so the warehouse induction and the office induction are the same template with different role lines.

How to use the template

1. Set the employee details — the name, the role, the department, the start date
2. Walk the company policy section — the safety policy, the reporting lines, the welfare
3. Walk the site hazards section — the specific hazards of the workplace and the role
4. Walk the emergency section — the alarm, the assembly, the first aider, the muster
5. Issue the PPE for the role — the items, the fit, the care
6. Sign the block — the inductor and the employee, the date, the file reference

Worked example

A new warehouse operative: the name, the role, the department, the start date; the company policy the safety statement, the reporting to the shift lead, the welfare the break room and the first aider; the site hazards the forklift, the manual handling, the racking, the cold store; the emergency the alarm, the assembly at the dock, the first aider at the office; the PPE the hi-vis, the boots, the gloves for the role; the signatures the team leader and the operative. The first-day induction, signed and filed.

Standard & legal context

The workplace induction is the UK MHSVR 1999 information and training duty for the new employee, and the CDM Regulations where the workplace is construction. The OSHA general duty clause and the site training in the US carry the same expectation. The ISO 45001:2018 clause 7.2 competence carries the duty at the management system level, and the induction is the competence provided on day one. The checklist is the record, and the signature is the evidence.

Common mistakes

1. Inducting in the office and not on the workplace — the site-specific hazards are the point, and the induction is on the floor, not at the desk
2. One induction for every role — the role-specific section is where the induction is tailored, and the warehouse and the office are different inductions
3. No welfare section — the new employee needs the break room, the first aider, the reporting lines, and the welfare is part of the induction
4. No follow-up — the induction is day one, and the check-in at the end of the first week is where the gaps are caught