Free Tool: Health & Safety Site Scan Idea

A QR code + Google Form combo that handles site sign-ins, H&S compliance, and staff check-ins — no code, no monthly fees, no waiting on IT.

Health & Safety can feel like a bit of a nightmare in our husband’s industry… but it is necessary, of course.

Up until the start of this year in my partner’s business, we (embarrassingly) still used paper H&S and toolbox checklists in the morning meetings on site. I looked into a few apps, but honestly didn’t love the subscription rates that were required to sign up with them and I ended up using Google Forms, Google Sheets and a free QR code maker to make a simple, free workaround.

Now our boys hold their phone camera up to a QR code we have on site, click their name and tick that they have gone through their appropriate checklists/aware of all the risks etc on site. Google Sheets automatically collects all that data for us and now we don’t have anymore piles of paper taking up space!

These instructions I have made a perfect for small trade businesses, and we have been using ours for a good six months now with no hiccups. However, bigger businesses are still 1000% best to go through proper avenues with the appropriate apps – i’m not sure how Google would handle teams of 10+ (we have 5 staff and it works great for us).

Here’s the thing — you don’t need a developer, an app, or a budget. You need Google Forms, Google Sheets, and a free QR code. That’s it. The whole stack. Done.

What this actually does

Once you’ve set this up (it takes about 20 minutes, I promise), here’s what happens:

• A QR code lives on site — laminated on the gate, printed on a sign, stuck to the door
• Staff scan it with their phone camera
• A form opens — no app needed, no login required
• They fill it in (name, time, H&S confirmation, whatever you need)
• Every response drops automatically into a Google Sheet you can access from anywhere

Real-time. Searchable. Timestamped. Free.

Why does this work for H&S?

Health and safety record-keeping doesn’t need to be complicated — it needs to be consistent. The biggest risk for most small businesses isn’t that they don’t care about H&S, it’s that the system is too clunky so people skip it.

A QR code scan takes eight seconds. People do it. That’s the whole point.

You can use this for:

• Site sign-ins and sign-outs
• Daily hazard acknowledgements (“I confirm I’ve read today’s site briefing”)
• Visitor logs
• Subcontractor check-ins
• Equipment sign-outs
• Near-miss reporting

A few things to keep in mind

This setup is brilliant for small teams and trade businesses, but it’s not a magic compliance wand. You’ll still want to check what your industry or region requires for H&S record-keeping — this tool ticks the “we have a log” box beautifully, but you might need more depending on your situation.

Also: make sure whoever owns the Google account knows to keep it active. Sounds obvious, but I’ve seen businesses lose months of records because someone’s old work email got deactivated. Use a business account or a shared inbox you actually check.

Modern doesn’t have to mean expensive. Sometimes it means a laminated A4 sheet on a fence post and a Google Sheet that does all the heavy lifting while you’re off doing literally anything else.

Download the guide, get it set up this week, and feel very smug about it.