A device that fails or limits your data during an emergency is a liability, not a safety tool. In Australia, the WHS Act 2011 requires PCBUs to ensure site safety, while US employers must meet OSHA standards to protect all persons on site. If your hardware prevents real-time occupancy tracking, you are failing your duty of care.
Missing site data is a failure of duty of care
In our work with Australian and US organisations, we see that the law demands a reliable, verifiable method for accounting for every person on site. Under the WHS Act 2011 (AU) and OSHA regulations (US), failure to maintain accurate, accessible occupancy records during an incident creates significant legal and safety exposure.
Paper logs leave people behind
Most organisations rely on fragmented data or hardware that isn’t fit for purpose, creating a gap between “checking in” and actual protection. A paper sign-in book only tells you who arrived, leaving you blind to who is still inside during a crisis.
- Paper logs lack real-time check-out tracking, making muster point verification an educated guess.
- Tablets without lockdown modes allow visitors to exit the system, resulting in incomplete live site occupancy reports.
- Disconnected spreadsheets fail to sync across multiple entry points during a rapid evacuation.
- Manual logs are often illegible, delaying emergency responders during a real-time muster roll call.
Hardware must support your safety requirements
A genuine visitor management system integrates hardware with cloud-based software to ensure data is accessible even when the network is down. This transforms the entry point into a safety gateway that mandates contractor induction and check-in before site access is granted.
- Deploy dedicated kiosks with USB capabilities to integrate visitor badge issuance and RFID scanners.
- Utilise a cloud-based visitor management system that generates an emergency evacuation report accessible from any authorised device.
- Implement offline / disconnected mode to maintain site occupancy records if the internet drops.
- Secure tablets in professional stands to maintain a controlled environment and ensure the device is used only for its intended purpose.
- Ensure hardware is compatible with corporate IT standards to avoid deployment roadblocks and connectivity failures.
Time and People: Visitor Management That Works When It Has To
Time and People converts compliance obligations into working infrastructure through cloud-connected visitor management and real-time evacuation reporting. We’ve found that while iPads are easy to deploy, they often present roadblocks regarding USB peripherals and IT approvals compared to dedicated all-in-one kiosks. For 12+ years across Australia and the United States, we have focused on the technology that ensures every person is accounted for.
Content prepared by Time and People — visitor and contractor management across Australia and the United States.