The duties behind the meetings
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 put specific duties on the principal contractor during the construction phase. Regulation 13 requires them to make sure a suitable site induction is provided. Regulation 14 requires them to make and keep arrangements for workers to cooperate on health, safety and welfare, and to consult workers or their representatives in good time on matters that may affect them. The HSE's guidance on the regulations, L153, explains how these duties work in practice.
Pre-start meetings with a subcontractor before a package begins, daily activity briefings and toolbox talks are the everyday ways those duties are met. The regulations do not prescribe a form for the record, but being able to show who was told what, and when, is how a contractor shows the briefing happened.
What a good record holds
| Record | What it should show |
|---|---|
| Site induction | Who was inducted, by whom, on what date, and the site rules and hazards covered |
| Pre-start meeting | The package, the companies and people present, the method statement and risk assessment briefed, interfaces with other trades, permits, plant, and questions raised |
| Daily activity briefing | The day's work, the hazards and controls for it, and who attended |
| Toolbox talk | The subject, who gave it, who attended |
Recording the meeting itself
A pre-start meeting often agrees things that matter later: the sequence, who provides access, what is in and out of the package. Minutes written from a recording capture those agreements as they were said. If you record, tell everyone at the start, and follow your company's rules on recording.
In Note Metric you can set the meeting type (DABS, Inspection, Progress Meeting and others, or your own), so the minutes come out in the right shape, and a notice to read or send before the meeting is in Settings.
Questions
Do attendees have to sign the induction or briefing record?
CDM 2015 does not say so, but most contractors ask for a signature or a sign-in because it is the simplest proof of attendance. Keep the signed sheet with the minutes or briefing record.
Is a recording a substitute for a signed briefing sheet?
Not on its own. A recording shows what was said; a sign-in shows who was there and confirms they received the briefing. Use both where the risk justifies it.
How long should induction and briefing records be kept?
Your company's records policy decides. Keep in mind that health and safety records can be asked for long after a project ends, and that any personal data in them should be kept only as long as it is needed.
Sources
- The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 13: the principal contractor's duty to make sure a suitable site induction is provided
- The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 14: the principal contractor's duty to consult and engage with workers
- HSE, Managing health and safety in construction, L153: the HSE's guidance on the regulations
- HSE, CDM 2015: the HSE's overview of the regulations and duty holders
Our summaries of these documents are not their wording: read the source before relying on it. This guide is general information, not legal advice for a particular case. Note Metric and AI Metric Ltd are not affiliated with or endorsed by any body named here.