Your First Day on Site: What to Expect and What to Ask

‍‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌​​‍# S1. Your first day on site - what to actually expect

1. THE SHORT VERSION

Every job needs an induction. Big commercial site or small extension – doesn't matter.

The law says they have to tell you what the risks are, what the rules are, and what to do if it goes wrong before you start work.

2. THE LAW - WHAT ACTUALLY APPLIES

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA 1974)

• s2 – Your employer must keep you safe "so far as reasonably practicable".
• s2(2)(c) – They must give you the info, instruction and training you need.
• s3 – They must also protect people who aren't on their books (subbies, labour, public).

Plain English: they can't just throw you in and hope for the best. They must explain the risks and controls.

Where: Great Britain.

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR 1999)

• reg 3 – They must do risk assessments for the job.
• reg 10 – They must tell you about the risks and what they're doing about them.
• reg 13 – They must check you're competent and give you training where needed.

Plain English: they must work out what could hurt you and then tell you clearly what that means for how you work.

Where: Great Britain.

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015)

• Principal contractors and contractors must plan, manage and monitor the work and give every worker a suitable site induction.
• They must provide proper welfare and tell you about emergency routes, first aid and site rules.
• Workers must cooperate, follow site rules and report dangers.

Plain English: if you're on a construction job, you should get a clear briefing for that specific site, not a shrug and "you'll be fine".

Where: Great Britain.

PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended)

• They must provide suitable PPE where needed and tell you how to use it.

Plain English: if they expect certain kit, they must sort it or agree it clearly and explain when and where you wear it.

Domestic and small jobs (still CDM)

• CDM 2015 still applies on domestic jobs and small extensions.
• On a domestic job with more than one contractor, the principal contractor usually takes on the client's health and safety duties.

Plain English: even if it's just a house extension with you and one other, there still needs to be a basic induction chat.

The rules above are live now. Nothing in 2026 removes the need for inductions or clear safety info.

3. YOUR RIGHTS - STEP BY STEP

• You can ask for a site‑specific induction before you start work. CDM backs you here. Every worker should have one.

• You have the right to be told what can hurt you on this job and how to avoid it. HSWA and MHSWR say they must give you this info.

• You have the right to know who is in charge and what the rules are. CDM and Build UK guidance expect clear roles and site rules.

• You have the right to know fire, first aid and welfare arrangements from day one. CDM says they must sort and explain emergency and welfare basics.

• You have the right to toilets, washing, drinking water and a place to take a break. CDM Schedule 2 sets this out.

• You have the right to raise safety concerns when the induction is missing or useless. CDM expects you to report dangers; that's not being awkward, that's the job.

• You have the right to refuse unsafe work if you haven't been briefed properly. The law expects planned, informed work – not guesswork.

4. WHAT TO DO - PRACTICAL STEPS

1. Ask for the induction as soon as you arrive.

   • Big site: at the gate or office – "I need the site induction before I start."
   • Small job: to your boss or the builder – "Can you walk me through how this job's set up before I crack on?"

2. Check they cover the basics.

   • Listen for: what you're building, main hazards, PPE, no‑go areas, fire plan, first aid, welfare, who you report to.
   • If they skip something, ask: "Where's the muster point?", "Who's first aider?", "What's live?"

3. If there's no induction at all, call it out.

   • Say it straight: "We've not had an induction yet. CDM says everyone should get one before starting work. Can we sort that now?"

4. If they brush you off, go up a level.

   • Speak to your employer, agency contact or the main contractor's office.
   • Keep it factual: where you are, who you spoke to, and that you were put to work with no induction.

5. If it's still ignored and the job looks dangerous, stop and record.

   • Write down date, time, what you were asked to do, and that no briefing was given. Take photos if safe.
   • Don't carry on with obviously unsafe work "just to keep the peace".

6. If it's serious or keeps happening, contact HSE.

   • Use their phone line or online form. Explain clearly: site address, company names, what's happening, and that workers get no induction.

5. TEMPLATE LETTER OR EMAIL

You'll normally sort this by talking. But if they keep cutting corners, put it in writing.

Subject: No proper site induction at [SITE NAME]

Dear [NAME],

I am working at [SITE ADDRESS] for [YOUR EMPLOYER/AGENCY] as a [YOUR ROLE/TRADE].

I have been asked to start work on this job without a proper site‑specific induction. I have not been given clear information about:

• The main risks on this site
• Site rules and PPE requirements
• Fire and emergency procedures (alarm, exits, muster point, first aid)
• Welfare arrangements

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers and those in control of the work must provide adequate information, instruction and training. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, every worker on a construction site must receive a suitable induction and suitable welfare facilities.

I want to do the job and I want to do it safely. Please confirm how and when a proper site induction and safety briefing will be provided for me and other workers before we continue with work.

If this is not addressed, I may have to stop work on safety grounds and seek advice from HSE or other relevant bodies.

Regards, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR ROLE] [YOUR CONTACT NUMBER]

This keeps you calm, clear and on the right side of the law.

6. WHO TO CONTACT

HSE (Health and Safety Executive) What they do: Enforce HSWA and CDM. Can inspect, stop work and prosecute when basics like inductions and welfare are missing. Phone: 0300 003 1747 Website: https://www.hse.gov.uk Cost: Free.

Citizens Advice What they do: Help if you're pushed out or punished for raising safety issues. Website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk Cost: Free.

Unions (e.g. Unite, GMB) What they do: Back you up on safety concerns, can challenge employers, can bring in legal support. Example: Unite – 020 7611 2500, https://www.unitetheunion.org

CITB What they do: Training and guidance on inductions and competence; sets the standard many sites follow. Website: https://www.citb.co.uk

Build UK / trade bodies What they do: Set best‑practice guidance for bigger contractors, including how a decent induction should look.

7. COMMON MISTAKES

"It's only an extension, we don't need all that." Why: People think small jobs are exempt. What happens: No one knows where the risks are or what to do in a fire; accidents spike. Do instead: Run a short, simple induction chat every time.

Starting work with no idea where the live services are. Why: Pressure to get cracking, poor planning. What happens: Strikes on gas, electric, water. People get hurt or killed. Do instead: Ask exactly what's live, where it is, and how it's marked.

Treating the induction as background noise. Why: You've "heard it all before", you're tired, you're on your phone. What happens: You miss the one detail that matters on this site. Do instead: Listen, ask questions, make notes if you need to.

Thinking agency workers and subbies don't need the full brief. Why: "They're only here for a few days." What happens: They're the least informed and often the ones hurt. HSE looks hard at this. Do instead: Make sure everyone crossing the line gets an induction.

Relying on last month's induction when the site has moved on. Why: "You've been here before, crack on." What happens: New edges, new routes, new plant. Old info is wrong. Do instead: Ask what's changed and get a quick update briefing.

Not speaking up because you don't want to be "that guy". Why: Culture, banter, fear of losing work. What happens: You carry the risk so someone else can look organised. Do instead: Ask once, ask twice if needed. You're protecting yourself and the lads around you.

Thinking HSE won't turn up to a small job. Why: "We're too small for them to care." What happens: When they do turn up after an accident, fines and notices bite hard. Do instead: Treat small jobs like real sites: simple induction, basic controls, decent welfare.

8. RELATED SITUATIONS

• No decent welfare on site. If they can't be bothered with induction, toilets and wash facilities are often poor too.
• Told to work at height with no proper edge protection. Missing or weak induction often means no clear rules on work at height.
• Sacked or dropped after refusing unsafe work. Comes up when you say "no induction, no job" and management don't like it.
• Total chaos on site - no one clearly in charge. Poor or non‑existent inductions are usually one symptom of wider CDM failures.

9. REAL CASES AND EXAMPLES

• HSE case stories on falls from height, service strikes and vehicle incidents often highlight poor planning and lack of clear information or induction as a key failing.
• Build UK's induction guidance shows what good looks like on large sites: clear roles, layout, "golden rules", PPE, emergency routes and welfare.
• HSE guidance on small builders and domestic work stresses that CDM and basic briefing still apply on small jobs, not just big sites.

10. SOURCES

• HSE – Site rules and induction, 2026. https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/site-rules-induction.htm
• HSE – CDM 2015 overview and duties. https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/2015/index.htm
• CDM 2015 on legislation.gov.uk. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/part/4
• Designing Buildings – CDM worker duties, 2024.
• Build UK – Site Induction Guidance, 2025.
• HASPOD – Are Site Inductions Required By Law?, 2017.
• HSE – Health and safety in construction (HSG150) and small builder/domestic guidance.
• PPE at Work Regulations guidance.
• General articles explaining HSWA and MHSWR duties for information and training.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

• Ask for a site induction before you start any work, no matter how small the job.
• Find out who the first aider is, where the muster point is and what the fire alarm sounds like.
• Check you have the right PPE for this site and that it fits properly.
• If something feels unsafe or unclear, speak to your supervisor before cracking on.
• Save the HSE phone number (0300 003 1747) in your phone in case you ever need it.

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