Foreman logs or supervisor diaries and foreman log books are guarded more than a little black book. These supervisor logs hold every note you make over the course of a work day. Your recorded employee attendance, material shortages, safety hazards and multiple lists of things that must be done to get the job completed. They can also be used to track checklists from daily huddles. The problem is your notes grow by the day and carrying an encyclopedia around just makes your job harder.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) classifies construction as a “high-risk” industry. Compared to other industries, construction workers are more vulnerable to serious injury. Because of this, it’s imperative that each and every worker understand the importance of construction safety checks.

Walk-Around Inspections

Each employee should have a walk-around inspection checklist. This checklist should be completed at the beginning of an employee’s shift, to ensure that their tasks are completed in the safest environments.

Everyone’s walk-around inspection will the different. For instance, a forklift operator will need to walk around and inspect his vehicle, while a construction manager will be responsible for doing an overall jobsite safety inspection.

Here are some examples of what could be on an inspection checklist:

• Ensure everyone is wearing the right safety gear: goggles, helmets, etc.
• Determine that all work areas are clean
• Determine that all exits are properly labeled, and that all emergency exit plans are hung in highly visible areas
• Flammable liquids, and other hazardous materials, should be properly stored

A supervisor, or foremen, is the crew leader on a construction jobsite. It’s up to him to plan, organize, and direct work in a safe, and timely, manner. All supervisors will experience conflict at some point, as well as safety violations and workplace injuries. By keeping a daily record of all activities, your construction site supervisor can protect your business from arbitration and/or litigation.

What is a Daily Log?

The daily log is a book, or software program, into which a supervisor records the day’s activities. Record keeping helps ensure project organization, as well as keeps tabs on day-to-day employee happenings. The daily log is essential because it keeps a consistent record, which could be useful if you’re ever sued, and need to prove that your workers performed a safety inspection, or conflict was handled immediately and efficiently.

Daily log sections include:

• Date
• Times of incidents
• Work performed
• Safety topics
• Problems and delays
• Employee conflict  
• Equipment usage
• Materials purchased
• General management