Site-specific induction requirements for a QLD commercial job

Short answer: On Queensland construction work other than housing, WorkSafe Queensland says every person must have a site-specific induction before they start work. If the job is a construction project (construction work costing $250,000 or more), the principal contractor must prepare a written WHS management plan that includes the site rules. Each worker must be made aware of that plan before they start. WorkSafe also says you should keep a record of who was inducted and when.

This guide is plain English for principal contractors and site managers on commercial (non-housing) work in Queensland. It sets out what the rules say, with links to the official sources, and a practical checklist.

General information only, checked against official sources on 13 October 2026. It isn't legal advice. Always check the current law and WorkSafe Queensland guidance for your job.

Does this apply to your job?

Two things decide it: what kind of work it is and what it costs.

1. Is it housing construction work?

WorkSafe Queensland says a site-specific induction "is not compulsory for workplaces where housing construction work is being carried out". The Regulation defines housing construction work as building, extending or structurally altering dwellings such as detached houses and some attached dwellings (for example terrace houses or town houses separated by a fire-resisting wall). It covers some other dwelling types too. If you're on commercial, industrial, civil or other non-housing work, the induction expectation applies.

2. Is it a "construction project" ($250,000 or more)?

Under section 292 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld), a construction project is "a project that involves construction work where the cost of the construction work is $250,000 or more". WorkSafe notes this went up from the previous figure of $80,000. It also says the cost includes items like project management costs, fittings and furnishings, and taxes, levies or charges, but excludes GST.

• $250,000 or more: there's a principal contractor, and the extra duties in Part 6.4 of the Regulation apply (WHS management plan, signage, SWMS and so on).
• Under $250,000: WorkSafe says it isn't a construction project and "a Principal Contractor cannot be appointed". The general duties of a business (PCBU) still apply, including giving workers suitable information, training and instruction (Regulation s 39).

Who is the principal contractor? By default it's the business that commissions the construction project (often the client). The client can instead engage another business as principal contractor and give it management or control of the workplace (Regulation s 293). A construction project has only one principal contractor at any time.

What the induction has to cover

The current Regulation doesn't use the phrase "site-specific induction". It talks about making sure each person is made aware of the WHS management plan and the site rules. WorkSafe Queensland's guidance calls that briefing the site-specific induction.

WorkSafe says the induction "needs to address the contents of the work health and safety (WHS) management plans".

Under Regulation s 309, the principal contractor must prepare a written WHS management plan before work on the project commences. It must include:

1. The names, positions and health and safety responsibilities of people on site with specific safety roles.
2. How the businesses on site will consult, cooperate and coordinate.
3. How work health and safety incidents will be managed.
4. Any site-specific health and safety rules, and how everyone at the workplace will be told about them.
5. How safe work method statements (SWMS) will be collected, assessed, monitored and reviewed.

WorkSafe also says the plan must be written so it's easy to understand, and signed and dated by the principal contractor.

In practice, a site-specific induction pack usually walks through the people above, the site rules, emergency and incident arrangements, and how SWMS are handled on that site. Most firms already have this as a PowerPoint. If that deck is already written, turn it into a phone induction with a quiz and a timestamped record of each slide.

Make it understandable. Regulation s 39 says the information, training and instruction you give a worker must be suitable for the work, the risks and the controls in place. It must also be provided, so far as is reasonably practicable, "in a way that is readily understandable by any person to whom it is provided".

When it has to happen

• Before they start work. Under Regulation s 310, the principal contractor must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that each person who is to carry out construction work on the project is made aware of the content of the WHS management plan before commencing work. They must also be told of their right to inspect the plan. (Maximum penalty: 36 penalty units.)
• Before they walk in. WorkSafe says a person entering a part of the workplace where construction work is being done must either have had a site-specific induction or be accompanied by you or someone who has.
• When the plan changes. Under Regulation s 311, the principal contractor must review and, where needed, revise the plan to keep it up to date. They must also make sure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that people working on the project are told about any revision. If your site rules change, people need to hear about it.

This is separate from the white card. General construction induction training (the "white card") is covered by Part 6.5 of the Regulation (ss 316–317). A business must not let a worker do construction work unless they've completed that training. If they completed it more than 2 years ago, they must also have done construction work in the preceding 2 years. A white card doesn't replace your site-specific induction, and your site induction doesn't replace a white card.

What to record, and for how long

• Who was inducted and when. WorkSafe says: "As the principal contractor you should keep a record of the people inducted and the date it was given."
• The WHS management plan. Under Regulation s 313, a copy must be kept until the project is completed, and it must be readily accessible to people working on the project. If a notifiable incident happens, keep the plan for at least 2 years after the incident. Every revised version counts as part of "the plan".
• SWMS. WorkSafe says the principal contractor must sign and date the SWMS they receive and keep them with the plan. Regulation s 312 requires the principal contractor to take all reasonable steps to get the SWMS before high risk construction work starts.

Also check you have the principal contractor signage the Regulation requires (s 308): your name, phone numbers including an after-hours number, and the site office location, clearly visible from outside the site.

A practical checklist for a QLD commercial job

• Confirm whether the job is a construction project ($250,000 or more, excluding GST) and who the principal contractor is.
• WHS management plan written, signed and dated before work starts, including the site rules.
• Induction pack (often a PowerPoint) that walks through the plan and site rules in plain language.
• Every person inducted before they start, or escorted by an inducted person.
• Record of each person's name and induction date.
• Workers told they can inspect the WHS management plan, and a copy kept readily accessible.
• When the plan or site rules change: plan revised and people told.
• SWMS obtained before high risk construction work, then signed, dated and kept with the plan.
• White card (general construction induction) checked separately.
• Principal contractor signage up.

The hard part: proving people actually saw it

The rules above are about people being made aware of the plan and site rules, and WorkSafe suggests keeping a record of who was inducted and when. On a busy site, the weak spots tend to be:

• a paper sign-on sheet that shows someone signed, but not what they were shown;
• an induction run on a phone or tablet where people can skip to the end;
• no easy way to see, at the gate, whether the person in front of you is inducted for this site.

How Set2Go (settogo.com.au) fits

Set2Go is a small tool that delivers the induction PowerPoint you already have and keeps a record of it. It doesn't write your WHS management plan or your SWMS for you.

• Your .pptx, on their phone. Upload your existing deck. Workers see it one slide at a time on their phone.
• Per-slide proof. Set2Go timestamps when each slide was viewed on every attempt. The quiz stays locked until every slide has been seen, and a certificate is issued when they pass.
• Status at a glance. See who has passed, who has expired, who needs a retake and who hasn't started.
• Gate check-in. At the site, invited workers with a current induction scan the site QR code, enter their PIN and acknowledge the site rules. Your SWMS and site rules can sit in the same gate sequence. If there's no signal, check-ins queue and sync later.
• Who's on site now. A live board shows open check-ins, so you can see who is on site.
• Invite-only. Workers join by invitation from your company; they don't self-register.

Pricing is published at settogo.com.au/pricing. There's a 14-day free trial with no card required.

Important: Set2Go is safety administration software. It is not a statutory WHS system. Using it doesn't by itself mean you've met your obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) or the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld). You're still responsible for the content of your WHS management plan, site rules and induction, and for meeting your duties as a PCBU or principal contractor.

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FAQ

Sources (checked 13 October 2026)

• WorkSafe Queensland, Site specific induction (page last updated 25 January 2019)
• WorkSafe Queensland, Principal contractors (page last updated 2 May 2017)
• WorkSafe Queensland, Work health and safety management plans (page last updated 10 November 2017)
• Queensland Legislation, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011: ss 39, 292, 293, 307–313, 316–317, and the definition of housing construction work

Set2Go is operated by Actual Training Pty Ltd trading as Actual IT, ABN 60 626 629 454.