An injured contractor or an unaccounted-for worker during a fire is your liability, regardless of who pays their invoice. In Australia, the WHS Act 2011 mandates that PCBUs ensure the safety of all workers on site. In the United States, OSHA requires host employers to maintain a safe environment. You are responsible for their induction, supervision, and emergency accounting.
Ignorance of contractor activity is not a legal defence
In Australia, the WHS Act 2011 requires PCBUs to ensure the health and safety of all workers, including contractors. In the US, OSHA regulations place a duty on the host employer to maintain a safe workplace for anyone operating on their premises. Across our work with Australian and US organisations, we’ve found that responsibility is shared; you cannot outsource your duty of care.
A paper log cannot tell you who is still in the building
Most organisations rely on a paper sign-in book, which only records who arrived, not who is currently on site. This creates a critical liability gap during emergencies when muster point verification becomes a guessing game rather than a data-driven process.
- Lack of verified contractor induction and check-in before site access is granted.
- Reliance on manual check-outs that contractors frequently ignore upon leaving.
- No real-time visibility into which contractors are in high-risk areas of your facility.
- Inability to prove exactly how many contractor employees were on site for insurance or billing disputes.
Closing the gap with real-time occupancy and induction
A cloud-based visitor management system replaces guesswork with verified, real-time data. It ensures every contractor completes a mandatory contractor induction and check-in before they are granted access to your facilities.
- Mandatory digital contractor induction and licence verification prior to site entry.
- Real-time site occupancy tracking to know exactly who is on your corporate campus.
- Instant generation of a real-time evacuation report during an incident.
- Automatic tracking of start and finish times to provide evidence against inflated contractor billing.
- Offline / disconnected mode to ensure site occupancy records remain accessible if the network fails.
Time and People: Visitor Management That Works When It Has To
We convert complex compliance obligations into working infrastructure with 12+ years of experience across Australia and the United States. We’ve found that just because a contractor is used to a construction environment, it doesn’t mean they should be given free reign without initial supervision and strict protocol. Our cloud-connected visitor management and real-time evacuation reporting protect your people and your business.
Content prepared by Time and People — visitor and contractor management across Australia and the United States.