Contractor & visitor safety policy template
A free, ready-to-edit contractor and visitor safety policy template for Australian workplaces. Set clear WHS expectations for contractors, subcontractors and visitors — from prequalification and site inductions to supervision and compliance checks — so third-party work never puts your team at risk. No signup required.
Contractor safety policy
PDF format • Ready to download
By downloading, you agree to our template disclaimer
This contractor and visitor safety policy template reflects Australian work health and safety standards at the time of publication and is provided as a general guide to adapt for your business and site-specific hazards. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
Why your workplace needs a contractor safety policy
Under Australian work health and safety law, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) owes a duty to ensure the health and safety of contractors, subcontractors and visitors at the workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable. You remain responsible even when the work is carried out by a third party — and when more than one PCBU shares a site, those duties overlap.
A documented contractor safety policy shows you have systems in place to manage third-party risk. It sets clear expectations for how contractors are selected, what they must provide before starting, how they’re inducted and supervised on site, and what happens when safety rules are breached. Without it, you expose your business to injuries, insurance disputes and potential prosecution.
The policy applies to all contractors, subcontractors, labour-hire workers and visitors. It pairs naturally with your WHS policy and hazard & risk policy. Store it and capture acknowledgements in your HR software so you can show every contractor has read and understood the site rules.
What a contractor safety policy should cover
The essentials of a WHS-compliant third-party framework
Prequalification
Checking safety records, licences, qualifications and insurance before engagement.
Pre-work documentation
SWMS for high-risk work, certificates of currency and method statements on file.
Site induction
Mandatory induction covering site-specific hazards, rules and emergency procedures.
Supervision & monitoring
Who oversees contractor work and how activities are checked on site.
Visitor protocols
Sign-in, escorting, PPE and induction requirements for anyone visiting the site.
Emergency procedures
How contractors and visitors respond to incidents, alarms and evacuations.
What's included in this template
A complete framework for managing contractor and visitor safety
Purpose & scope
Why the policy exists and which contractors, subcontractors and visitors it covers.
Contractor selection
Criteria for engaging contractors with proven safety records and the right credentials.
Pre-work requirements
Insurance, licences, SWMS and documentation required before any work begins.
Site induction
Mandatory safety induction covering site hazards, rules and emergency response.
Supervision requirements
How contractor work is monitored and who is responsible for oversight.
Compliance verification
Checking credentials are current and contractors keep meeting requirements.
Visitor protocols
Sign-in, escorting rules, PPE and restricted-area requirements for visitors.
Emergency procedures
Expectations for contractor and visitor behaviour during an emergency.
Non-compliance
Consequences when contractors breach safety requirements, up to removal from site.
Review & acknowledgement
How the policy is maintained and how workers sign off that they understand it.
Managing contractor safety in Australia
Meeting your WHS duties to third parties on site
Your PCBU duty doesn't transfer
Under the model WHS Act, a PCBU’s duty of care extends to contractors and visitors — and you can’t contract out of it. When several businesses share a site, each PCBU must consult, co-operate and co-ordinate so far as is reasonably practicable. Spell out who holds overall site control in the policy.
SWMS for high-risk construction work
A Safe Work Method Statement is required before high-risk construction work begins. Make collecting, reviewing and keeping current SWMS a non-negotiable pre-work step, and check the work matches the statement on site.
The contractor management process
Prequalify
Verify safety records, licences, insurance and references before engagement.
Document
Collect SWMS, certificates of currency and method statements on file.
Induct
Run a site induction covering hazards, rules and emergency procedures.
Monitor
Supervise the work, audit compliance and act on any breaches.
Keep every credential, induction record and SWMS current and easy to retrieve — store them alongside your licence and certification records so nothing lapses unnoticed.
Treat induction as an ongoing requirement, not a one-off — see how to run an effective induction for the topics to cover. Safe Work Australia’s model WHS laws and codes of practice set the baseline duties, and your state or territory WHS regulator can issue site-specific guidance, especially for construction and other high-risk industries.
Who should use this template?
Essential for any workplace that engages contractors or hosts visitors
Especially important on shared sites where multiple businesses and subcontractors work alongside each other.
Compliance resources
Official guidance on managing contractor and visitor safety.
Manage your policies the easy way
RosterElf helps Australian businesses store safety policies, capture contractor and employee acknowledgements, and keep an audit trail of inductions and credentials — all in one place.
Related guides
Implement and document this policy the right way
Related templates
Build a complete safety management system
WHS policy
The foundational work health and safety policy for your organisation.
View templateHazard & risk policy
A framework for identifying, assessing and controlling workplace hazards.
View templateSafety induction policy
A standardised induction process for workers, contractors and visitors.
View templateContractor safety policy FAQ
-
A contractor safety policy is a formal framework that sets out the safety standards, rules and expectations for external contractors, subcontractors and visitors at your workplace. It typically covers prequalification (safety records, licences and insurance), risk management (such as Safe Work Method Statements for high-risk tasks), site induction and training, and ongoing compliance monitoring — so third-party work doesn’t create risks for anyone on site.
-
A complete policy should include its purpose and scope, contractor selection criteria, pre-work documentation requirements (insurance, licences and SWMS), a mandatory site induction, supervision and monitoring arrangements, compliance verification, visitor sign-in and escorting protocols, emergency procedures, the consequences of non-compliance, and a review and acknowledgement process. Our template provides all of these as editable sections.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.