Simple Contract Templates for the Construction Industry

Simple Contract Templates for the Construction Industry

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Need to leverage contract templates when working with customers? This article covers how contractors can use digital contract templates to simplify the process with easy-to-use software for contract management.

It’s always a best practice to have an agreement in place when rendering services for a client. For companies with field service teams, a typical workflow is to have a contractor and their team working on site to perform maintenance, repairs, and other types of work for the client. 

Unfortunately, disputes are common and people can misunderstand the scope of work or timeline for projects. Disputes can lead to lost time, materials, and productivity, as well as potential legal risks. Having a contract or agreement in place before work begins will allow you to be in the best position should a dispute arise. Your bases are covered with a contract that clearly defines the work to be performed, clearly documenting the specifics of what’s included with the services. 

This helps avoid misunderstandings and can provide a better experience for the customer. With clearly defined contracts, the customer has a digital copy of the terms of working together and gets greater transparency into what’s included. Both parties sign off on the contract, setting a clear agreement to reference in case of a dispute.

You may be asking yourself why you can’t use a Word document, Google Document, or even a simple paper form to manage contract templates. While paperwork and word documents are common solutions, they also create a great amount of risk to your business and they create manual processes that kill productivity.

Digital forms and apps, like GoCanvas, are a better alternative to paper forms or Google documents for managing contracts. GoCanvas provides solutions built for the field, helping thousands of contracting professionals to better manage their workflows and documentation. When it comes to contract templates, there are many reasons why it makes sense to use a mobile form solution. Here is a quick comparison of GoCanvas versus paper forms and word documents:

Lost Paperwork

Losing documents is not something you can afford to do when it comes to managing your contracts. If disputes happen, you need to have the file on hand and lost paperwork would mean you are at a loss in that scenario. Unfortunately, paper forms and even word documents can become easily lost. Files can become misplaced, overwritten, or accidentally deleted from a computer. Paper forms can get lost in the shuffle between the field and office, or they can be misplaced or misfiled, making them difficult to find.

Apps for contract management like GoCanvas provide a simple solution to this problem. With documents managed in the cloud, contracts are always available in a central platform. Having files backed up and stored securely in the cloud ensures best practices for record keeping and provides an easy way to manage all signed documents.

Clear Documentation

Another benefit of using digital tools like GoCanvas is the ability to clearly date and sign contracts with electronic signatures. Digital processes allow you to require fields like a signature before a work order can be initiated, helping to ensure that agreements are signed before work kicks off. Having a signed PDF contract provides a strong record of an agreement. If changes to the scope of work are required, digital solutions like GoCanvas can help to manage this process and document updates along the way.

Improved communication.

Paperwork and word documents are simple solutions, but don’t provide the best experience for the customer. The customer may lose track of their copy of an agreement on paper, but digital solutions provide a better way to communicate with the customer. Everything is managed using digital forms and signatures, with reports available to be sent out via email to confirm the agreement and share a copy of the final PDF report. A fully digital experience is expected and appreciated by customers, who prefer to use digital channels for communication.

Easy-to-use field solution.

Paper work creates manual processes in the field when documents need to come back to the office. Plus, data entry is required once forms are back in an office, creating even more work for operations teams. Word documents were not designed to be managed in the field either, limiting the ability for field teams to use them on a mobile device. 

Solutions like GoCanvas provide an easy-to-use field solution for contractors. All of the digital forms can be completed from a mobile device or tablet, and they don’t even need an internet connection to access the apps on their phone. If contractors or agreements are collected on site by contractors, all of this can be completed from a tablet. Collect signatures, generate PDF reports, and capture all of the information needed right from a mobile device.

It’s easy to get started with GoCanvas for contract templates and other forms needed for your contracting business. Here is a brief overview on how it works:

Choose a template based on use case. Select a contract template from the GoCanvas app store, with thousands of pre-built templates for contractors. 

Customize the template based on need. GoCanvas templates are easy to customize for your business needs, allowing you to change the documents based on your specific use case or customer needs.

Assign work in the field. GoCanvas provides construction process management tools like dispatch and workflow, so you can assign, manage, and streamline work in the field.

Collect signatures on agreement. GoCanvas supports digital signatures to allow for contracts, agreements, and any other forms your contracting business uses for documentation like time cards, work orders, and more.

Receive email with copy of signed agreement. An email copy of the branded PDF report can be generated to instantly share a copy of the document or form with customers or project stakeholders.

Access documents in central cloud location. Easily access all of your documents in the cloud with GoCanvas, or integrate data with other cloud-based tools your business already uses like Dropbox, Google, and more.

To see how it works, get started by selecting a GoCanvas contract template based on your contracting business needs. You can also contact our team any time and we can walk you through the product and answer any questions you may have about leveraging digital technology for your business.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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5 Ways Mobile Inspection Apps Ensure Better Compliance

5 Ways Mobile Inspection Apps Ensure Better Compliance

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The whole point of inspections is to ensure compliance. They help you ensure your work is up to code and your employees are safe. But paper inspections come with a host of issues, many of which could be leaving you at risk. Here are five ways mobile inspection apps ensure better compliance:

Perhaps it got lost on the way to your office. Maybe you go to look up a form later on and just can’t find it. Either way, you’re missing a report. It happens to many businesses. In fact, up to 11% of documents are misfiled or lost. That’s 11% of your time wasted. Worse, lost inspections create a massive liability risk. 

Going mobile ensures you receive every inspection. Every finished safety inspection is stored securely in the cloud. There, you can access each and every form as a PDF, or download them for your own databases in various form types. GoCanvas also makes it easy in case OSHA audits you. 

With all safety inspections stored in your GoCanvas account, you can quickly retrieve your safety inspections to prove your continued dedication to a culture of safety. A mobile app ensures your business has all the safety inspection records you need to stay in compliance and give you an accurate bigger picture.

Reading handwriting can be an art. You can have amazing inspectors, but if you can’t read their writing, they might as well have written the information in Greek! Mobile apps allow you to gather that information in a clear and easy-to-understand way. 

Every inspection has typed text. Easily read it at your computer, or even on the go on a smartphone or tablet. You’ll spend less time trying to translate and more time getting work done.

A safety inspection done on paper can be hard to verify. How can you be sure that it occurred at the appropriate time and place? 

Some companies have tried to game the system: New York is taking up a case against a business that hired unqualified people to pose as licensed site safety managers. These bad eggs, however, can put additional pressure on other businesses to prove that their work sites are safe. 

Going mobile can provide additional information to protect and validate your inspections. Automatic date and time stamps prove when an inspection took place. With one click, you can have GPS capture your location, proving that the inspection occurred at the right location. You can also take photos, providing visual information to back up your inspection. Need a signature? Just sign with a finger or a stylus. 

All of these features provide additional proof that paper forms can’t provide. They create external validation, protecting your business even further. Mobile apps keep your business safe and help you gather more information than ever before.

It’s a dangerous world out there. Grease, dirt, heck even a cup of water can ruin a paper form! All it takes is a stumble for you to tear up an inspection and lose an hour of hard work. 

Sure, smartphones and tablets can break. But you can easily protect these devices in a way that was never possible with paper. You can put a paper inspection in a folder, but to use it, you have to write directly on it. 

On the other hand, with smartphones and tablets you have choices of different ruggedized devices and protective cases. Not only can you gather information, but you can also ensure that a cup of coffee won’t ruin your hard work.

It doesn’t matter how many asterisks or underlines you use; sometimes forms come back incomplete. With forms taking hours or days to come to your office, it’s often too late to go back and get good information. 

A mobile inspection removes this headache. With one click, you can make fields required. Even if an employee skips a section, they won’t be able to submit their inspection until they fill out the required fields. No more chasing down employees days later, just easy-to-read and complete inspections at your fingertips. 

Creating accurate reports relies on having the best data possible. Mobile technology reduces human error and allows you to gather more information in real time. Say goodbye to illegible handwriting, missing paperwork, and other holes in your information. Say hello to more accurate information in real time each and every time.

For more information about GoCanvas inspection apps, contact our team to start a conversation or sign up for a free trial to learn more.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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Free Employee Incident Report Template

Free Employee Incident Report Template

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Incident reports are used to document when an accident or near-miss happens at work. Instead of using paper forms, many organizations choose to file incident reports digitally as PDF files that can be sent via email. Templates are commonly used to give employees a standard form to file when an incident occurs. Proper reporting is required by OSHA and it helps companies address safety issues by bringing to light any problems or potential areas for concern. 

OSHA requires employers to file timely incident reports. The employee incident report from OSHA is designed to encourage employees to fill out the document and share it with their supervisor when injuries, illnesses, or near-miss events occur. No matter how minor the event may seem, it’s important to file employee incident reports to have an accurate understanding of events in the workplace. The employee incident report gives the employee’s account of the incident, and then the supervisor also gives a separate account when investigating an accident. All of these forms are designed to capture the details of the incident and document what happened for reporting purposes.

It’s important to encourage employees to self-report incidents. You don’t want a culture where safety issues go unnoticed, as this can lead to further issues and impact employee satisfaction. Employees should feel empowered to voice concerns and share when incidents or near-miss events happen. Providing a digital incident form for employees gives them the ability to submit information on their mobile devices instantly. 

Incident report forms follow a standard template that is used to capture all of the pertinent details of the event. Here are some examples of what to include on the form:

  • Type of incident. Injury, incident, near-miss.
  • Personal details. Name of employee, name of workplace, job title, supervisor, and the date.
  • Details of incident. A detailed account of where it happened, what happened, and names of witnesses.
  • About the incident. Note if this has happened before, could have been prevented, or required medical care.

Going digital can simplify and standardize your company’s safety management programs. Here are the top three reasons to go digital:

Central, cloud-based platform for safety management

Providing a central location for employees to access and manage safety information can simplify workflows for your employees. If an incident happens, they know to open the safety app and find the appropriate form. If they need to access inspection forms, toolbox talks, and any other safety program documentation — everything is stored in a central location. This helps to increase compliance by making it easier for employees to follow safety program best practices.

 

Greater visibility into safety program results

Incident reports are one part of a safety program that you would want to analyze the data to understand patterns and trends. Are certain job sites or teams having higher than average incidents? Which teams are participating in required toolbox talks? With a digital safety management solution, you can easily view summarized data in real-time. Leveraging dashboards and analytics, your organization can use data to inform safety programs and minimize risk.

 

Avoid lost paperwork and manual workflows

Paper forms can be easily lost or misplaced over time. This ultimately creates more challenges if important documents can’t be found. Likewise, paper forms create manual work for employees to fill out paperwork, drive to an office, enter the data into a computer, or rely on mailed documents. All of these workflow challenges create extra work when performing a safety inspection, submitting an incident report, or filling out any number of other safety forms your teams use. Going digital can help automate how work gets done and streamline work for employees. Simply fill out forms using a mobile device or tablet and instantly sync information to the cloud.

GoCanvas offers a free trial where you can try out the employee incident report template. Our no-code form builder allows you to digitize paperwork, so employees can submit information from the field on a mobile device. Employees fill out the digital forms and a PDF report is automatically generated and shared with the office. GoCanvas customers have found that by digitizing their safety programs, they’re able to lower risk and liability by 18%.

Access the incident report template here on the GoCanvas App Store.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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What is a Work Order?

Work orders are used by field service organizations to manage work that needs to be performed for a client or on a job site. This guide explains everything you need to know about work orders and how your business can use them to operate more efficiently.

Companies that rely on field services need work orders to assign jobs and tasks. A common example could be an HVAC business with field technicians going into a customer’s home to perform repairs or maintenance. The work order is generated from the office and assigned to an employee in the field. 

Having work orders ensures that jobs are assigned to the right team member and there is a clear understanding of the scope of work to be performed once on site. More companies are moving toward digital work orders and field service management software to help simplify the process for operations teams and business owners.

Since work orders are used by many different industries, there are countless variations of a work order that can exist. Here are some of the most common types of work orders to give you a good idea of what work orders look like in practice:

An example of a work order for a residential services company could be pest control or landscaping project management. This type of work is generated by a customer that needs a service performed on the house, as part of a standing contract or routine home maintenance. Typically a technician is dispatched to a client site and given a description of the client request and instructions for the job.

An example of a work order for contractors could be a handyman business that is doing repairs or upkeep on homes. This type of work is requested by the client and the contractor assigns employees to a client site or job site with the tools and equipment needed to complete the work. Another example might be a painting contractor with teams in the field that are assigned locally to a paint job.

An example of a preventative maintenance work order could be an equipment maintenance and repair orders. These types of service businesses are dealing with work orders to assign technicians on a regular cadence to ensure that equipment is operating properly and performing routine maintenance or repairs.

An example of an inspection service work order could be for a home inspection business or building inspections. These types of services are assigned to inspectors in the field that use checklists and create a report on the condition of a property for home owners, property managers, and real estate transactions.

An example of a work order for a utilities business could be for an oil and gas company with production repairs taking place in the field. This type of work order is typically an internal request so that utilities companies can easily assign maintenance jobs to the right workers in the field.

Now that you know some common examples of work orders in action, this section covers some best practices on how to write a work order. Although there are many different use cases for work orders, here is our list of the most common items to include when writing a work order:

  • Address and location information: Providing the job location is critical so teams know where the work needs to be performed.
  • Designated contact information: It’s important to have the designated person’s contact information, in case there is an expected delay in arrival for performing the work or if questions happen to arise in connection with that work order. This contact may also be different from the requestor if there happens to be a facility manager or other worker that is present instead. 
  • Due date: Having a due date for a work order is important for preventing a backlog of work and it gives you the ability to predict downtime due to maintenance or repair work going on.
  • Request date: You will want to keep track of when requests were submitted, and including a date helps to ensure that work requests don’t fall through the cracks.
  • Requestor information: It’s possible that a different person will be present than the person who actually submitted the request for work or maintenance service. It can be helpful to have the requestor’s information to reference, in case there are questions related to the request.
  • Assigned field technicians or maintenance team: Work orders should always contain information about the teams that are assigned to fulfill the order. This helps companies track work being performed and helps to ensure that the correct individuals are responding to the request.
  • Instructions for work to be carried out: Work orders should always include detailed instructions to avoid any ambiguity about the required work.

 

By following these best practices and including all of these elements in your work order requests, your team will encounter fewer issues when carrying out maintenance tasks and this will help your teams maximize their efficiency.

Field service companies are set up with various forms to complete work and document information for the client. This is often referred to as a quote to cash process and here are some key terms to understand and differentiate between.

Quotes and estimates. Typically a bid, a quote, or an estimate is sent for review to the client. The client may want to review different companies and assess which option is best suited for their needs. Once a decision has been made, an approval is given by the client and this will typically kick off the work order.

Work order. As we have covered in this article, the work order is generated and dispatched with the appropriate information to the field service team who performs the work.

Invoice. Once the work order has been completed, typically this initiates the invoice process. Invoices and work orders are not the same thing, but the invoice will mirror closely the work order with the job details and scope of work performed. The invoice is different in that it will reflect the exact prices, materials, and quantities that were actually used on the job and calculate the final bill for the customer.

Payment. Once the invoice report has been received by the client, they are able to submit payment terms and close out the work that has been performed. More companies are leveraging digital payment solutions to provide clients with an instant method of payment via credit card to get paid faster and to provide an instant digital receipt for documentation.

All of these steps take place for service companies, which is why it is often referred to as the quote to cash process and getting this right is crucial to getting paid on time and to ensure a seamless customer experience. 

Work order management software is growing in popularity for field service companies. This type of software is designed to streamline how your business operates.

This category of software is designed to support the entire quote to cash process, giving businesses of all sizes the ability to take advantage of digital tools for increasing productivity and creating a competitive advantage. While businesses have historically relied on paper to do business, the trend is to move toward integrated and streamlined digital forms.

The major pain points for using paper forms include:

  • Lost work orders. Paper forms can easily be misplaced or lost.
  • Illegible handwriting. Messy handwriting can create confusion or errors.
  • Incomplete information. Technicians can forget to include required information.
  • Calculation errors. Performing math by hand can easily lead to calculation mistakes.
  • Manual processes. Employees need manual data entry and other tedious processes to get the job done.
  • Inability to scale. Paper forms are time-consuming and create busy work that slows down business growth.

Work order management software has tools to automate manual work, standardize how data is collected, and share information in real-time between the field and the office. This type of software is designed to increase productivity, helping employees focus more of their time on work that matters and less time on manual processes. 

Want to learn more? This article shares three of the top reasons to leverage work order management software for your business.

GoCanvas is a leader in field service management software solutions, trusted by thousands of companies worldwide to increase productivity and streamline operations. Leverage our no-code platform for an easy-to-use work order management solution and to digitize your quote to cash processes. Contact our team to see how it works or sign up for a free trial to get started today.

 

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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Best Invoice App for Contractors

Best Invoice App for Contractors

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Software solutions for contractors are growing in popularity, with specific apps to help with different types of business projects. One such example are invoice apps that enable contractors to provide a digital invoice to clients. This article covers how invoice apps work and where you can find an easy-to-use template for your business.

Typically an invoice app will be used by businesses and contractors that work directly with their clients. Here are some examples of common use cases for invoice apps:

  • Contractors: Contractors often invoice clients for work like home repairs, HVAC, maintenance, construction, residential services, inspections, and more. Contractors typically provide an estimate and submit the invoice once work has been completed with exact labor and materials used.
  • Transportation and Logistics: This type of business requires deliveries to be made through trucks or van fleets. Drivers can be responsible for confirming delivery has been made and invoicing the client once services have been completed.
  • Professional services: Many professional services businesses like independent contractors will provide direct business services, for things like freelance consulting, or legal work. These businesses will use invoices after project completion to bill for their time.

This should give you an idea of what types of businesses benefit from using invoice apps. Most invoice apps are completely customizable for the business type, giving you the flexibility to search for a template and modify the app based on the information you need to collect. 

An invoice app is designed to provide software and mobile technology to create client invoices from a mobile device or a computer. Here’s the basic concept on how invoice apps work:

Invoice apps allow you to create digital forms that are used by the contractor or business to fill out the specific details of that job. Typically templates are built and include all of the relevant fields needed to document, like prices, quantities, time worked, scope of work, client information, and other related project fields.

Once the mobile forms are built, contractors on the job can fill in the details using a mobile device or tablet to generate the exact invoice right on the spot. 

After the form has been completed, the invoice app will send a digital document to the client that breaks down all of the job as filled out in the app. This is typically sent via an email link, so that the client can open up their inbox and review the work completed.

A main feature of the invoice app is the ability for the client to sign off on the completed work. Signature capture allows the client to sign off on work and create the final signed copy documenting an agreement.

Many times another option for the invoice is to offer a digital payment processing solution within the invoice app. By connecting to payment processors like Square, it gives the option to the client to pay via credit card on the invoice. If getting paid faster is a priority, this can be a good option to allow customers to pay securely through the app and processed by Square directly to your bank account. 

It’s common for the final step to share the completed digital paper work via email to the client, to keep for their records. A digital receipt sent as a PDF file is helpful for clients to have in their inbox and helpful for your business to ensure that documents are always saved to the cloud for good record-keeping. 

Invoice apps can be as simple or as complex as you need them to be. For example, you may want to set up data integrations to ensure that data syncs between your invoice app, accounting system, CRM, and other places you store data. For other businesses, just having a simple invoice app is a much better solution than traditional paper forms, giving a central place to manage all of your invoices digitally.

Your business will know when it becomes time to utilize an invoice app. Here are some of the most common pain points that determine when it makes sense to move to a digital invoicing solution:

Does your staff get overwhelmed with the amount of paper work needed to manage operations? This is a top sign that going digital can save your business time and money. There are many hidden costs associated with paper usage like manual data entry, lost or missing papers, errors and rework, and inefficient workflows. When the busy work keeps stacking up, it becomes time to consider apps to streamline and automate more of the office work.

Often related to the challenges with paper, you may notice that your business is growing rapidly, but challenged to scale efficiently. Unfortunately, as the business grows in complexity, it can create more of the manual work and tasks for operational staff to support. This is when it becomes time to lean on software that can boost your productivity and help your business work more efficiently. 

The productivity challenges and paperwork may be a pain to deal with, but rising competition is often the biggest argument for switching to mobile and digital solutions. If other contractors or businesses you compete with provide a digital experience for customers, you may be falling behind in terms of what customers want. At the end of the day, technology is all about making it easier for your customers to do business with you and there is a significant opportunity for contractors that embrace digital technologies. If your competitors are lagging behind in this area, moving first can create value for customers and result in repeat business, referrals, and online reviews stating how easy it is to do business with your company.

GoCanvas is a leader in mobile forms and software to streamline operations and increase productivity. Our invoice apps can be customized to fit any business or contractor’s needs – simply start with one of our pre-built templates and use our no-code designer to fit your requirements.

 Try out our invoice app here or search thousands of app templates available here on our website.

work order and invoice template

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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The Complete Guide to FHA Home Inspection Checklists

The Complete Guide to FHA Home Inspection Checklists

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Passing an FHA home inspection is necessary when purchasing a home with an FHA loan. FHA loans pose a number of advantages for some borrowers. They can make loans possible with a lower credit score, which may be the only way that some borrowers can get the loans they need to move into their own properties. However, navigating an FHA home inspection can prove more challenging than navigating the inspection process for other types of loans. Home inspection checklists are key to ensuring that every requirement is fulfilled. 

An FHA home inspection takes an in-depth look at the entire property. Its goal is to ensure that the property fits the standards required for an FHA loan before the loan is improved. An FHA home inspection is used to determine the true market value of a home and to evaluate how much a home loan can be approved for the buyer. It also determines if the home is in good condition, or determines if there are any red flags that would make it a poor choice for the buyer.

Keep in mind that an FHA home inspection serves two key purposes. Its primary job is to protect the lender. If the buyer, who may already have a low credit score if they choose to apply for an FHA loan instead of another type of property loan, ends up in an unlivable property that does not meet those critical standards, they may not be able to manage upkeep on the property or take care of those vital repairs. Often, that can cause the buyer to fall behind on payments or even to abandon the property altogether, which the lender does not want to happen.

That inspection, however, can also provide a vital layer of protection to the buyer. Home buyers do not want to end up in a property that fails to meet minimum safety standards.The FHA home inspection will help ensure that the property is safe, reasonably well-maintained, and has a lower chance of leaving the owner with serious maintenance costs in the first few years residing there.

During an FHA home inspection, the inspector will take a look at all the vital elements of the home and the surrounding area. The inspector will look for signs of:

  • Property concerns. Disturbances on the property, including sinkholes, oil or gas wells, or abandoned wells. The inspector will look for anything that might make the property dangerous for inhabitants.
  • Building issues. Structural problems and defects, including any signs that the property has foundation damage or wall damage. The inspector may, for example, take a look at any water marks on the walls or ceiling, or search for cracks in the foundation.
  • Accessibility concerns. Access to the property, including both vehicle and foot access and how difficult it may prove to get to the property in the event of an emergency. Stairs may also require handrails in order to protect the property owners. 
  • Signs of pest infestations. While some bugs or pests outdoors are normal, if there are signs of infestation indoors, from termite tunnels to obvious signs of rodent droppings, the inspector may deny the loan on the property until the infestation is dealt with.
  • Problems with the plumbing or wiring. The inspector may take a look at any leaking pipes, unsafe wires, or other hazards that could cause serious dangers to the residents of the property or to the property itself.
  • Roofing inspection. In order to pass an FHA inspection, a roof will need to be strong enough to last for two or more years, with no obvious problems like leaks or moisture buildup that could pose a serious hazard down the road. 

In essence, an FHA home inspection is designed to look for any potential problems with the property. The problems most flagged by an FHA inspector are those that could pose a danger to the residents or those that could pose a serious structural problem, including those that might result in severe damage to the property itself. 

Passing an FHA home inspection is harder than passing other types of home inspections because if the inspector identifies serious problems with the property, those problems will have to be dealt with before you can secure a loan. However, if a home is safe, in good repair, and has no obvious problems, you should pass an FHA home inspection fairly easily. 

There are several factors that could impact the ability to pass an FHA home inspection. Ultimately, however, there are three issues that the inspector is looking for. If the home inspected falls into one of these three key categories, a loan will likely be denied. 

Many homes are no longer safe for habitation for a variety of reasons. In some cases, an inspection may uncover electrical hazards that should have been dealt with years ago, including out-of-date wiring that could mean a serious hazard for residents of the home. In other cases, your inspector might notice serious signs of water damage, which could lead to mold buildup and, ultimately, to serious problems. 

In other cases, the house may have structural damage that could even cause it to collapse in the near future. Pests and rodents could pose a potent danger, since they can raise the risk of disease and infection for residents of the home. 

If the home is unsafe for habitation for any reason, the FHA inspector will likely list that in his demands. Sometimes, that issue is one that the sellers can fix up quickly, which will get the loan approved more easily. In other cases, however, the FHA inspector may identify a serious underlying problem that could pose a substantial danger to residents of the property, including one that the sellers cannot fix up easily before selling the property. In that case, the buyer might not be able to secure the loan they’re hoping for. 

Unsanitary living conditions are extremely hazardous for the residents of the home, and FHA inspectors will not approve those loans or allow the home to pass inspection until those things are dealt with.

Rodents–or clear signs of rodent droppings–are a key example of an unsanitary home, as are bug infestations. Other problems could include mold buildup that should have been addressed long before or sewage issues, including sewage backing up into the drains on the property. 

Often, sanitary issues are possible for the home sellers to fix up, which would make it possible for the home to pass inspection. However, these are concerns that buyers will need to deal with prior to purchasing the property.

If the home has obvious signs of structural damage, chances are, it’s something the current homeowners won’t be able to fix up quickly. If the home is not sound, it could collapse–and that could mean serious injury to the home’s residents. Any time a home has obvious structural problems, it will not pass FHA inspection. 

The FHA Home Inspection Checklist covers a variety of areas, including:

  • The roof
  • The property itself, including both potential access points and any possible damage to the property
  • The wiring
  • The hot water heater
  • The plumbing
  • Bathrooms, to ensure that all bathrooms are working and provide adequately for the needs of the home’s residents
  • Heating and cooling
  • Potential pest infestations
  • The structure of the property
  • The bedrooms, including ensuring that all bedrooms have windows to provide additional access to the property

FHA inspectors may need to go through the entire property in order to make sure they have identified any potential hazards. They may check everywhere, including in attics and basements, to make sure that there are no obvious signs of property damage that need to be dealt with before the loan can be approved. 

GoCanvas offers a template that can be used by FHA home inspectors to streamline the inspection process using a mobile device or tablet.

Inspection companies have found that by going digital, they are able to save time when performing inspections and creating the report. With all of this done electronically using a mobile app, it cuts down on data entry and manual processes that are common when using just paper forms.

Access the GoCanvas FHA home inspection template here for an easy to use digital checklist for the home inspection process. 

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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5 Best Construction Inspection Templates

5 Best Construction Inspection Templates

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Many jobs in construction require daily, weekly, and monthly inspections for safety compliance and project management tasks. This article covers some of the most common construction inspection types and templates that can be used to simplify the process.

Inspection templates are helpful to use so that you don’t have to start from scratch. Paper forms and Word documents are one way to create a template, but many companies are moving toward inspection software and mobile forms to make it easier to manage. 

A construction inspection template is typically a pre-built form that is available within the inspection software platform that has many of the fields that you would need to collect for that particular inspection type. Templates are generally meant to be customized, so you can input any project or client specific details that are required. Most inspection software templates are very simple to customize, using a drag-and-drop editor to make the template customizations online. 

Once the template is created, it’s available to inspectors or managers in the field who can go through the checklist items using a mobile device and a PDF report is generated once finished.

Using inspection templates helps to ensure that data is collected in a standard way and required fields are never left blank. Inspection software and forms help bring all of the inspection forms into a central, cloud-based system that is easy to access and easy to share the information with all project stakeholders. 

GoCanvas has worked with leading construction companies to digitize their forms and streamline operational tasks. All of our inspection templates are designed to work with other forms you use on the job site, like work orders, safety meetings, contracts, and more. Follow the links below for some of the most common inspection templates and register for a GoCanvas free trial to see how the product works. 

Daily site inspections are used on many construction projects to report on the daily progress updates for that job site. This gives management and clients a report to communicate the work being done in the field.

Construction firms are going digital with these daily site inspections, with apps to help make the entire daily reporting process painless for site managers. The daily site inspection app from GoCanvas is used to document weather conditions, monitor who has been on site for the day, collect notes for the project, capture images of any issues, and much more. 

Access the Daily Site Inspection template from our free trial and use our no-code builder to easily customize the form to include other relevant information for your job sites.

Building inspections are often required to report on the overall condition and safety of the buildings according to their permits and code. The building inspection app from GoCanvas makes it easy to ensure that buildings are in compliance with permit issuance and do not have code violations.

Building inspectors can use the simple checklists and forms on their mobile devices or tablets, collecting the required information and automatically generating a branded report once they are finished. This app can also be used in conjunction with work orders, making it simple to assign follow up corrective actions after an inspection has been completed.

Access the Building Inspection template from our free trial to see how GoCanvas can help save your business time and money by streamlining how you collect and report on information digitally.

Construction equipment operators and teams that are responsible for preventative maintenance can use the equipment inspection template from GoCanvas to perform complete equipment safety checklists on a mobile device or tablet. 

The template is useful to ensure that heavy construction equipment is in good condition and to identify any issues that require attention. This template can also be used to ensure that your workplace is in compliance with OSHA standards for heavy equipment safety.

Access the Equipment Inspection template from our template library and use the GoCanvas form builder to modify the template to be used across different types of equipment and job sites.

Quality control inspections are designed to check for quality standards and advise where corrective action is needed. This QC template from GoCanvas can be used for many different purposes, including construction projects, building code, work environment, welding processes, environmental monitoring, and more.

Going digital with quality control inspections helps to instantly capture, record, and update quality audits with regards to quality standards in real time during the inspection process. Once the QC inspection template checklist has been completed using a mobile device, a PDF is automatically generated that can be emailed and is stored in the GoCanvas Cloud account for easy access.

Access the Quality Control Inspection from in our template library.

Job site safety inspections are designed to ensure OSHA compliance and best practices are followed in terms of worker safety. This safety inspection template from GoCanvas can be used as a reporting tool for hazard analysis, identifying pertinent safety issues and working conditions for employees.

The safety inspection template can be used on a mobile device so that safety inspectors, safety managers, general contractors, and project managers, any contractor or site inspector can use the app to quickly and easily complete site inspections and send the results directly to the project managers and the safety compliance team. 

Access the Safety Inspection template in our template library for an easy-to-use digital inspection app that can help to keep workers safe and productive on the job site.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Your Guide for Rental Inspection Checklists

Your Guide for Rental Inspection Checklists

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A rental inspection checklist is used by property management companies to ensure that rental units are in good condition for tenants. The rental inspection checklist is typically performed by a member of the property management staff and includes all different areas of the home or property to inspection. Once the checklist form is completed, a report is generated that includes a signature from the inspector and a signature to be collected from the tenant. This creates an agreement between parties that the rental inspection was conducted and records any of the pertinent information, in case of a dispute later on.

A rental inspection can look very different depending on the property type. For example, a single family home will need to cover more areas than that of a studio apartment. The rental inspection checklist should have different templates for all of these different use cases. Here are some examples of the types of things included in a rental inspection checklist:

  • Interior of the unit
  • Exterior spaces
  • Building structures
  • Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing
  • Fire protection
  • And more

It’s important that your property management company performs thorough inspections on a routine basis and confirm that properties are maintained according to local regulations. Proactive inspections can identify issues before they become problems, leading to better maintained properties and lowered risk.

Two common types of rental inspections used by property management companies are residential property inspections and move-in/move-out inspections. Here is a brief overview on these types of rental inspections and templates you can use to get started.

A residential property inspection checklist is used to ensure that the property is livable and meets the required standards in your area. This checklist is used during a housing inspection to assess the overall condition of the property. It will have a thorough checklist for inspectors to review and detailed notes to make recommendations on what needs to be repaired. Similar to a home inspection that is performed for buyers, the rental inspection checklist is designed to give property owners a detailed assessment of the building to prepare it for tenant move-in.

You can access the residential inspection checklist here on the GoCanvas App Store.

Building owners and property managers will perform move-in and move-out inspections for tenants to create a document of how the property is maintained upon move in and any damages that exist upon move out. By performing a thorough inspection upon move-in, it creates a clear record of the condition of the property and an agreement from the tenant. If damages occur, the move-out inspection will document these issues and any applicable fines can be assessed upon move-out. 

You can access the move-in and move-out inspection checklist here on the GoCanvas App Store.

Still using paper forms to manage inspections? Consider going digital with inspection software built for property management companies, building contractors, real estate transactions, and much more. The GoCanvas platform is trusted by thousands of companies to streamline the inspection process and automate how work gets done. 

Tools for management. Inspection software provides tools to better manage inspections. Easily dispatch work orders to the right teams in the field and get real-time reports once work has been completed. Cloud-based tools ensure information is accessible and never lost. Inspection software makes it easier to collect and report on information from the field, saving your business time and money by cutting out manual processes.

Simplicity in the field. Inspection software and forms provide a simple solution for your workforce on site when performing property inspections on a mobile device or tablet. Inspection checklists can be built for your business needs and ensure that data is consistent every time by requiring fields. Information syncs automatically back to the office, cutting down on the reporting process and saving technicians from data entry.

Seamless digital experience. Software for mobile forms helps to digitize inspections, work orders, and other types of paperwork. If you need to share inspection forms with other stakeholders or clients, all of this can be done electronically and provide a better process for documentation. Provide better reports with photos, allow for digital signatures on documents, and manage everything using cloud-based tools instead of paper forms that are easily lost.

Looking for more examples? See how other companies are benefiting from inspection software and forms in this related article.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Your Guide to Construction Time Card Apps

Your Guide to Construction Time Card Apps

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Looking for a better way to manage your employee time cards? This article covers how timecard apps work for construction and templates you can use to get started.

There are many ways you could potentially track work performed on a construction site. Here are some of the most common:

Punch cards are used by physical time card machines that employees can punch in and punch out when they go on and off the clock. This method of time tracking has been used for decades and relies on analog methods for collecting time card information.

Drawbacks of punch cards: While punch cards are easy enough to use, they can create additional work if the information needs to be copied manually into an accounting or payroll system later on. With most companies relying on digital technology to power their operations, punch cards are not the fastest way to get time card data into the computer. 

Another drawback can be buddy punching, which is one form of time fraud where employees punch in for someone else when they are running late or need to clock out early. This may not seem like a huge issue, but it can add up over time if hours are misrepresented.

Another simple way to track workers time is through the use of spreadsheets. This method of time tracking allows employees to input their time into a shared spreadsheet or personal spreadsheet that gets emailed to their manager.

Drawbacks of spreadsheets: While spreadsheets are fast and free to use for most businesses, they can become error prone and lead to additional manual tasks. If a spreadsheet is lost or overwritten by accident, it can be hard to recover information that has been lost. This method can also create manual work if you also need to compile multiple spreadsheets into one document and then transfer that data into an accounting system.

Another way to manage time cards is through the use of time tracking apps and software. This method of time tracking was designed to alleviate the pain points mentioned with using paper forms or spreadsheets. 

Software solutions and apps provide a digital interface for employees to enter their time using a computer, mobile phone, or tablet device. Many of these time tracking apps are simple, easy-to-use, and affordable for most companies’ budgets. 

By digitizing the information, data can sync automatically to payroll and accounting systems to pay employees on time and ensure digital records are stored securely in a centralized cloud-based system. Continue reading for more information on construction timecard software.

There are many time card apps available to construction companies and contractors. With a construction project management app that supports time cards, you can save time, ensure accurate data is collected from the field, and minimize time card buddy punching.

Here are some of the core features that you can expect to find in a time card app:

This feature allows you to create form fields that you need employees to fill out with their time cards. You can customize the form fields based on the type of work, employee category, over time status, and much more. Mobile forms allow you to require fields, helping to ensure that nothing is missing and you don’t have to track down the information again. Data can often times be captured offline and then synced to the cloud once an internet connection becomes available.

For time card apps for construction, another useful feature is the notification and alert that gets sent out for the daily or weekly timesheet that is due. This makes it easy for employees to remember and an alert is sent out to their mobile device letting them know of the upcoming task and overdue tasks.

Another helpful feature for time card apps is the ability to track a location using GPS on the mobile phone. With the app downloaded on employees mobile devices, you can require that they clock in and clock out once they have reached the exact job site. This can minimize buddy punching, increase accountability for data accuracy, and ensure that work was performed at the correct location for the client.

One other feature that is common with time tracking is the ability to report on data from the field. This can be useful in construction projects to give a real-time view of hours worked. Many time card apps can also work in conjunction with daily reports, so that all of this information is rolled up in a timely manner and becomes more visible to stakeholders. Analytics reports can be run to spot potential delays, allowing information collected from the field to be used in dashboards and analytics reports.

You can find the GoCanvas time card app for the construction industry by following the link below. Contact our team any time to learn more about time card apps for construction and how they work together with our full suite of apps for the construction industry and contractors.

There are many great apps available to manage construction timesheets. The best app for your business is going to depend entirely on what business problems you need to solve. Here are two questions to ask:

You may want to consider if you need timecard apps in addition to other apps for construction. In that case, you can eliminate time card solutions that are stand alone and only do basic time tracking.

In this scenario, solutions like GoCanvas would allow you to manage multiple types of apps like work orders, inspections, safety apps, and more — all from a single platform for mobile forms and apps. 

Another consideration is to determine if you want your timecard app to integrate directly with your accounting system or existing tools. For example, GoCanvas offers an integration to tools like QuickBooks or Sage, so you can collect data from the field and sync in real-time to the other cloud-based tools you already use today.

Understanding how you want to use time card information for your business can help you decide on which time card app makes the most sense. With many features and functionality to consider, it’s best to map out your business challenges and evaluate all of your options. 

For more information on GoCanvas, contact our team here and we can answer any questions you may have about time cards and mobile apps.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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10 Construction Safety Topics to Cover [+ Examples]

10 Construction Safety Topics to Cover [+ Examples]

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Keeping construction workers safe is a top priority for managers and business owners. This guide covers some of the most common safety meeting topics to cover and provides links to examples to get you started.

While there are many safety topics you can cover, the best topics are going to be the ones that are most frequent problems in your organization. You can find good safety topics by analyzing your data to understand what types of incidents are most common by job site, and use that to inform what safety topics should be addressed to minimize accidents. 

If you don’t have the ability or time to analyze your own data, another place to find good safety topics is to look at OSHA’s top 10 most common violations, as this gives a picture overall on construction safety trends.

In this article, we will share examples of safety meeting topics you can cover using the GoCanvas templates provided. We compiled a list of the most common safety meetings or toolbox talks that construction pros use on the GoCanvas platform.

GoCanvas is a comprehensive safety management solution that helps to keep your workers safe and productive. By leveraging mobile forms and apps in the field, workers can access all safety program information in a centralized, cloud-based software solution. Easily complete toolbox talks from anywhere, file an incident report from a tablet device on a job site, and complete routine job site safety inspections – all within the GoCanvas platform. 

Continue reading for templates that can be used on specific safety meeting topics. Follow the links below to learn more and sign up for a free trial to test out the experience. We’ve made it simple to leverage our existing safety meeting templates to host your own toolbox talks without having to start from scratch. Keep track of safety compliance and ensure that all of your safety program data is accessible from the field or in the office.

This safety meeting topic provides an easy way to monitor, track and record the employees who have participated in taking measures to become informed on the basic protective measures against the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

This effective tool provides videos that are imperative for all employees to view and learn; what can people do to protect themselves and others, why it is recommended to avoid close contact, and how the coronavirus is affecting people who get it. Using this app, each workplace member who views the video can provide their information and signature to confirm they have watched the videos as required by the employer in efforts to prevent the spread of virus and infection. 

Working people at increased risk are those who frequently interact with potentially infected individuals. Increased risk for the contagious spread is health care workers, emergency responders, airline operators, correctional facility staff, educators, cleaning personnel, and other workers with broad exposure working with the public.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

This toolbox talk covers the topic of protective eyewear. This safety meeting topic is ideal for helping refresh workers’ knowledge on protective eyewear and related safety practices, standard operating procedures and preventive actions, completing last minute safety checks, reviewing company policies and industry standards, as well as new safety rules and laws. Encourage workers to discuss their experiences with planning, preparation, supervision, and documentation of safety procedures.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

This safety meeting topic is designed to mitigate dangers associated with setting up ladders. Falls from ladders and other hazards can cause severe bodily harm or death to workers. Use this safety meeting topic to help spotlight fall protection when using ladders. The meeting topic covers how to avoid injuries when working with ladders and how to prioritize the health and safety of workers.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

This toolbox talk covers the topic of hazard recognition and control.  This hazard recognition and control toolbox talk is ideal for helping refresh workers’ knowledge on hazard recognition and control and related safety practices, standard operating procedures and preventive actions, completing last minute safety checks, reviewing company policies and industry standards, as well as new safety rules and laws. Encourage workers to discuss their experiences with planning, preparation, supervision, and documentation of safety procedures.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

The Scaffold Requirements safety meeting topic is used to facilitate a discussion surrounding the requirements for scaffolding including erecting and dismantling of scaffolding, the placement of vertical supports, the base support for scaffolding, ensuring safety protocols are followed such as using guardrails, stable materials for the base of scaffolding, that manufacturer instructions are followed for bracing scaffolding, and more.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

The defensive driving safety meeting topic is designed for companies that operate vehicles on the job and need to be aware of best practices for driver safety. In all cases, while operating a motor vehicle, drivers should practice defensive driving techniques. Defensive driving is the art of driving so as to prevent and avoid traffic crashes, regardless of the unsafe conditions and actions created by other drivers and adverse road and or weather conditions. This app lays out eight techniques that good defensive drivers do.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

This toolbox talk covers the topic of slips, trips, and falls. These types of accidents are common on job sites when the ground is wet or loose from snow, rain, ice, or other liquids. Use this template to cover best practices on safe walking and tips on how to avoid slips, trips, and falls in the workplace.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

It’s easy to overlook the hazards associated with the common tools that are used on a daily basis. This safety meeting topic aims to bring some awareness to the potential hazards of these tools and how to minimize them. The toolbox talk reviews training, pre-inspection use, proper use, and storage of hand and power tools. Workers must always wear personal protective equipment, such as eye protection, when using tools to avoid injuries.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

The Tool Box Talk Safe Bending, Lifting, and Carrying app is a toolbox talk app used in construction and work environments to protect workers against musculoskeletal disorders resulting from poor or improper lifting techniques. When trying to lift a load of a heavy weight, workers are prone to injuries such as strains, sprains, and “throwing out” backs. Knowing the hazards of bending, lifting, and carrying items, as well as other handling techniques, such as lifting from the knees, and stretching certain muscles, and go a long way to promote the health and safety of personnel.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

This meeting promotes discussions of hearing protection, specifically foam ear plugs, in the work place. Noise-induced hearing loss is caused when loud noises such as those generated by tools and equipment on a construction site occur and penetrate the ear plug as there is protection such as foam ear plugs which block noise from entering the ear canal. Unprotected individuals are subject to problems such as hearing loss, tinnitus, ear pain, head aches, and more.

Access the safety meeting topic here.

Need more ideas for safety meeting topics? You can always search the GoCanvas App Store for the specific toolbox talk or safety meeting topic you have in mind. With thousands of templates to choose from, GoCanvas makes it easy to access and customize safety meeting templates. Going digital with safety programs can help increase your productivity and eliminate manual work. Contact our team to learn more about GoCanvas Safety or sign up here for a free trial to see it in action.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

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Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.