Induction and Briefing Log

Who this is for

The record that someone was told something, and signed to say so. One line per person per session: the date, the name, what was covered, who delivered it, how long it took and a box for the attendee's signature.

Site managers, supervisors, small employers, clubs and volunteer coordinators who induct new people and brief existing ones, and need more than a memory of having done it.

What this helps you track

• Who was inducted or briefed, and on what date
• The subject covered, written plainly enough to mean something later
• Who delivered the session and how long it ran
• A signature from each attendee on the printed sheet
• Time spent on inductions and briefings over the period

How to use it

1. Write the site or organisation, the period and who is responsible for the log at the top.
2. Use one line per person, not one line per session — a signature belongs to an individual.
3. Say what was actually covered rather than the name of a policy: the reader in a year will not remember what the policy said.
4. Record who delivered it and the minutes it took.
5. Have each attendee sign the printed sheet. The online version records everything else and prints with the signature column blank for signing.
6. File completed sheets where the person's other records are kept.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Does a signature make this a legal record?

What records are required, and for how long, is set where you are and by your own policies. This sheet gives you a clear, dated record with a signature on it; whether that satisfies a particular requirement is for you to check.

What is the difference between an induction and a briefing?

An induction is the first pass for someone new to the site or the role; a briefing is a short session on one subject for people already there. The type column keeps them apart on the same sheet.

How is this different from a toolbox talk record?

A toolbox talk record covers one talk with a list of attendees under it. This log runs the other way — a continuous list across all sessions and all people, which is easier to search when someone asks what a particular person has had.

Can I add the subjects in advance?

You can rule the sheet up beforehand on paper, or type the sessions into the online version and print it for signing on the day.