A delivery driver arriving after hours with no recorded check-in creates a blind spot in your site safety and emergency preparedness. In Australia, this directly contravenes the WHS Act 2011, placing a duty of care on the PCBU to know who is on site. In the United States, OSHA regulations require employers to account for all personnel present during an incident, and that includes delivery personnel. Failing to do so exposes your organisation to significant liability.
Knowing Who’s On Site Isn’t Optional — It’s the Law
Australian WHS legislation places a clear duty on PCBUs to know who is on site at all times – and that obligation doesn’t stop at a paper sign-in book. Similarly, in the US, OSHA’s General Duty Clause requires employers to provide a safe working environment, which includes knowing who is present in case of an emergency. In our work with Australian and US organisations, we consistently see that a lack of real-time visibility is a primary driver of non-compliance and increased risk.
Paper Logs Leave You Blind During Critical Moments
Relying on manual processes for after-hours deliveries creates unacceptable risk. A paper visitor log cannot tell you who is still on site during an emergency – it tells you who *arrived*. This gap is especially dangerous when responding to an evacuation, as it hinders accurate muster point verification and potentially puts lives at risk.
- After-hours deliveries are often unmonitored, leaving drivers unsupervised in potentially hazardous areas.
- Manual sign-in sheets are easily bypassed or ignored, creating an inaccurate record of site occupancy.
- Emergency services responding to an incident won’t have a reliable list of everyone present.
- Without check-out tracking, you can’t determine who has left the site, complicating evacuation procedures.
- Reliance on keys left in secure locations introduces security risks and potential for unauthorized access.
Real-Time Visibility is the Foundation of Safe Access
Genuine protection requires a digital visitor management system that extends beyond business hours. This means enabling pre-booked deliveries to self-register via a mobile interface, integrating with access control systems, and maintaining a live site occupancy report accessible to your emergency response team. A cloud-based visitor management system provides this capability, operating via browser or app, with data stored and synced in real time.
- Implement a pre-registration portal for scheduled deliveries, allowing drivers to provide details and receive access instructions in advance.
- Integrate your visitor management system with existing access control hardware – scan existing access cards or barcodes (like those found on driver’s licenses in New Zealand, USA and Costa Rica) to grant entry.
- Utilize offline / disconnected mode to ensure site occupancy records are maintained even during internet outages.
- Enable remote check-in via a mobile app, allowing drivers to register their arrival and departure without needing physical assistance.
- Generate an emergency evacuation report instantly, providing a live list of everyone on site, including delivery personnel.
Time and People: Visitor Management That Works When It Has To
For over 12 years, Time and People has been helping Australian and US organisations bridge the gap between compliance and practical safety. We’ve found that the asset module, used by our customers to track shared vehicles, could be adapted to track delivery driver access and accountability. Our cloud-connected visitor management systems deliver real-time evacuation reporting and ensure you always know who is on site, protecting your people and mitigating your risk.
Content prepared by Time and People — visitor and contractor management across Australia and the United States.