Product Overview

Summary: This SOP provides a clear, repeatable process for delivering safety briefings to workers, contractors and visitors before they commence work on a client site. It helps Australian businesses demonstrate due diligence, manage shared WHS responsibilities, and ensure everyone understands site-specific hazards, controls, and emergency arrangements from day one.

When your people or contractors step onto a client’s site, your WHS obligations don’t stop at the gate. Different layouts, plant, traffic flows, chemicals, and emergency arrangements can dramatically change the risk profile of even routine work. This Client Site Safety Briefing SOP sets out a structured, defensible process for ensuring every person receives a consistent, documented safety induction tailored to the specific client site before work starts.

The procedure guides you through pre‑visit preparation, engaging with the client to obtain current safety information, delivering concise but thorough briefings, verifying understanding, and maintaining records. It helps you manage the complexities of shared duties under Australian WHS laws, particularly where multiple PCBUs operate on the same site. By implementing this SOP, businesses can reduce incidents arising from unfamiliar environments, improve contractor management, and provide clear evidence of consultation and instruction in the event of an audit, client review, or regulator investigation.

Key Benefits

• Ensure all workers, contractors and visitors receive a consistent, site-specific safety briefing before commencing work.
• Reduce the likelihood of incidents caused by unfamiliar site layouts, hazards, and emergency procedures.
• Demonstrate due diligence and compliance with WHS duties in shared workplaces and client-controlled sites.
• Streamline coordination and communication between your organisation, the client, and other PCBUs on site.
• Standardise documentation and record-keeping to support audits, incident investigations, and client compliance requirements.

Who is this for?

• Site Supervisors
• Project Managers
• WHS Managers
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Contractor Coordinators
• Operations Managers
• Facilities Managers
• Field Service Team Leaders
• Construction Site Foremen
• Client Relationship Managers overseeing on-site work

Hazards Addressed

• Unfamiliar site layouts leading to slips, trips, falls or entry into restricted areas
• Uncontrolled interaction with mobile plant, vehicles and traffic on client sites
• Exposure to client-specific hazardous chemicals, dusts or biological agents
• Interaction with client machinery, equipment and energy sources (lockout/tagout, exclusion zones)
• Confusion about emergency exits, assembly points and alarm systems during an incident
• Working near live services such as electricity, gas, steam, or pressurised systems
• Security breaches or unauthorised access to high‑risk zones
• Psychosocial risks related to unclear expectations, lone work or remote client locations

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Terms
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (Client, PCBU, Supervisors, Workers, Contractors)
• 4.0 Pre‑Visit Planning and Client Consultation
• 5.0 Collection and Review of Client WHS Information
• 6.0 Site Arrival, Sign‑In and Access Control Requirements
• 7.0 Mandatory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Fitness for Work Checks
• 8.0 Standard Client Site Safety Briefing Content
• 9.0 Site‑Specific Hazards and Controls (Traffic, Plant, Chemicals, Confined Spaces, Heights, etc.)
• 10.0 Emergency Procedures, Evacuation Routes and Assembly Points
• 11.0 Communication Protocols and Reporting of Incidents, Hazards and Near Misses
• 12.0 Verification of Understanding (Questions, Sign‑off, Competency Checks)
• 13.0 Language, Literacy and Cultural Considerations
• 14.0 Record‑Keeping, Induction Registers and Document Control
• 15.0 Review, Audit and Continuous Improvement of the Briefing Process
• 16.0 Appendices – Sample Client Site Safety Briefing Checklist and Attendance Form

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth and corresponding state and territory legislation)
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth and corresponding state and territory regulations)
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• AS 3745:2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities