Written by Nicola Dobbie, Founder, The Site BookLast reviewed
Toolbox talks
Toolbox talk software for UK construction teams
Generate job-specific toolbox talks, record attendance digitally, and export audit-ready evidence. Built for UK builders working under CDM 2015 — no enterprise pricing, no H&S consultant, works on your phone in the van or on site.
How it works
Four steps. No blank page. No searching for templates online.
Choose a topic or describe the task
Pick from built-in topics covering the most common construction hazards — working at height, manual handling, silica dust, electrical safety, and more — or describe the specific task you need to brief your team on.
Tailored to your job
The software generates a talk covering the hazards relevant to your site, your trade, and this piece of work. Not a generic briefing that could apply to any site anywhere — content that stands up as evidence of site-specific instruction.
Deliver on site, on any device
Share the talk with your team via phone or tablet. No printing, no laminated sheets, no clipboard. Workers sign off digitally on their own device and attendance is timestamped automatically.
Export the audit-ready record
Every talk is stored with a full audit log — who attended, who delivered it, the date, the topic, the content. Download a complete record at any point, formatted for HSE inspection or inclusion in your Construction Phase Plan.
What's included in every toolbox talk
- Job-specific toolbox talk generator — content tailored to your site, trade, and hazards
- Schedule topics across a project timeline with recurring briefings for ongoing risks
- Digital attendance and e-signatures on any device — admissible as evidence of worker briefing
- Full audit log of every talk, every attendee, every date — exportable on demand
- Built-in library covering the most common UK construction topics
- Custom talks for tasks not covered by the built-in library
- Linked to your RAMS, COSHH assessments, and site inductions for a consistent compliance story
- CDM 2015 alignment — content structured to HSE expectations for documented safety briefings
The evidence pack the HSE expects to see
Generic toolbox talks are a compliance risk, not a compliance solution. A talk about working at height that doesn’t reference the actual access method, roof type, or edge protection on your job is difficult to defend as evidence of site-specific instruction. The Site Book generates talks that reflect your actual job — and stores them as an audit-ready record connected to your RAMS, COSHH assessments, and Construction Phase Plan.
Ready the moment you need it.
Toolbox talk topics covered
Built-in content for the topics most commonly required on UK construction sites — each structured to cover the hazard, the control measures, and the legal basis under CDM 2015 and relevant HSE guidance.
Working at height →
Ladders, scaffolding, MEWPs, roof work, and edge protection.
Manual handling →
The TILE assessment, lifting technique, and musculoskeletal risk.
PPE →
What is required, when to wear it, and who is responsible for providing it.
Dust and respiratory risks →
Silica dust, wood dust, and COSHH controls for respiratory protection.
Electric tools and equipment →
PAT testing, RCDs, 110V systems, and inspection requirements.
Slips, trips, and falls →
Housekeeping, cable management, lighting, and footwear.
Fire safety →
Fire points, evacuation routes, hot works, and the Joint Code of Practice.
COSHH substances →
Hazardous materials on site, SDS sheets, and storage requirements.
Excavation and groundworks →
Trench collapse, buried services, and permit to dig.
Lone working →
Communication, check-in procedures, and emergency planning.
Need a topic that isn’t in the library? Grab the free template → or create a custom talk inside the app.
Free Starter vs Pro
Your first project is free — no card needed. Pro removes the limits when you're ready to run every job through The Site Book.
Starter
£0
Get a feel for it on a real job, free.
- First project free
- RAMS generator
- CPP generator
- Site inductions
- PDF download
- Worker sign-off
Pro
£30/mo
billed yearly (£360/yr) · £39/mo monthly
Save £108/year on annual
Everything in Starter, plus:
- Unlimited projects
- COSHH library
- Toolbox talks
- Google Drive, Xero and Zapier integrations
- Save £108/yr vs monthly
Cancel online anytime. Export everything if you leave.
What's included at each tier
Starter
£0- Risk Assessments (RAMS)
- Construction Phase Plans (CPP)
- Site inductions
- Worker document signing (no per-signature charge)
Pro
£39/mo or £360/yr- Risk Assessments (RAMS)
- Construction Phase Plans (CPP)
- Site inductions
- COSHH assessments (standalone doc, SDS upload, site-specific register)
- Worker cert tracking and expiry alerts
- Right-to-work evidence records
- Subcontractor tracking
- Toolbox talks
- Worker document signing (no per-signature charge)
- Integrations (Drive, Xero, Zapier)
Business
£199/mo- Risk Assessments (RAMS)
- Construction Phase Plans (CPP)
- Site inductions
- COSHH assessments (standalone doc, SDS upload, site-specific register)
- Worker cert tracking and expiry alerts
- Right-to-work evidence records
- Subcontractor tracking
- Toolbox talks
- Worker document signing (no per-signature charge)
- Integrations (Drive, Xero, Zapier)
- Up to 10 internal team logins
- Site Supervisor: a field-only login for whoever runs the site
- Up to 50 active site portal users
- Site attendance check-in/check-out
- Multilingual worker inductions (9 languages)
- Optional 4-digit PIN for shared-link document sign-off
- Slack Site Ready readiness checks
Site Control
£675/site/mo- Risk Assessments (RAMS)
- Construction Phase Plans (CPP)
- Site inductions
- COSHH assessments (standalone doc, SDS upload, site-specific register)
- Worker cert tracking and expiry alerts
- Right-to-work evidence records
- Subcontractor tracking
- Toolbox talks
- Worker document signing (no per-signature charge)
- Integrations (Drive, Xero, Zapier)
- Up to 10 internal team logins
- Site Supervisor: a field-only login for whoever runs the site
- Up to 50 active site portal users
- Site attendance check-in/check-out
- Multilingual worker inductions (9 languages)
- Optional 4-digit PIN for shared-link document sign-off
- Slack Site Ready readiness checks
- Permanent entrance QR: guest sign-in and contractor self-join
- CSCS credential capture, review and expiry alerts
- Digital induction gating before check-in
- Live people-on-site, attendance and audit-grade exports
- Single sign-on (SSO) with Okta or Microsoft Entra
- Public REST API with scoped account keys
- Signed real-time webhooks into your own systems
Running live sites with subcontractors? Site Control is the per-site enterprise tier above Business — entrance QR sign-in, CSCS checks, induction gating, live attendance and audit-grade exports. From £675/site per month, plus £5,000 setup.
Common questions about toolbox talks
What is the best toolbox talk software for UK builders?
The best toolbox talk software for UK builders generates job-specific content, records attendance digitally, and exports audit-ready evidence aligned with CDM 2015. The Site Book does all three with flat-rate pricing: Pro is £39 on monthly billing or £360 paid annually, equivalent to £30/month, with unlimited projects and unlimited talks.
Can I record toolbox talk attendance digitally?
Yes. Workers sign off on their own phone or tablet. Attendance is recorded and timestamped automatically against each individual. You do not need a paper register, and the digital record is admissible as evidence of worker briefing under UK health and safety law — far harder to lose than a paper sheet.
Does The Site Book support CDM 2015 compliance?
Yes. Every toolbox talk generated by The Site Book is structured to meet CDM 2015 requirements and HSE expectations for documented safety briefings. The content references the specific hazards relevant to your job, your site, and your trade — so it holds up if a principal contractor, building control inspector, or HSE officer asks to see your records.
Can I schedule recurring toolbox talks?
Yes. You can plan topics in advance and schedule them across a project timeline. Recurring talks for ongoing risks such as manual handling or dust can be set to repeat at the interval that suits your project, with the software tracking what has been covered and when. That matters for longer jobs and principal contractor requirements where a documented programme of safety briefings is expected.
Are toolbox talks a legal requirement?
There is no specific law requiring 'toolbox talks' by name. However, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to provide information, instruction, and training to employees. CDM 2015 requires the principal contractor to ensure workers receive appropriate training. Toolbox talks are the recognised way to deliver ongoing safety briefings on construction sites — and the HSE expects to see evidence of them.
How often should I run toolbox talks?
There is no fixed legal frequency under CDM 2015, but HSE guidance recommends regular briefings, particularly when new tasks start, new workers arrive on site, or site conditions change. Weekly is the industry standard on most construction sites; some principal contractors require them more frequently for high-risk activities. The key is regularity — one good talk a week is better than a monthly lecture no one remembers.
How long should a toolbox talk last?
10 to 15 minutes is ideal. Long enough to cover the topic properly, short enough that people stay engaged. The best toolbox talks are focused on one specific topic — not a general safety overview. If you're going over 15 minutes, you're probably trying to cover too much.
Do I need toolbox talk software or is a template enough?
A template is a starting point, but it does not record attendance, generate job-specific content, or produce an audit trail. If you are working on a notifiable project, supplying a principal contractor, or want to demonstrate a documented programme of safety briefings, software gives you evidence that a template cannot. The free toolbox talk template is a good way to understand the format before committing to software.
Is The Site Book suitable for sole traders?
Yes. The Site Book is designed specifically for sole traders and small firms — you do not need a team to use it. If you are a sole trader working on a domestic job, you can generate a toolbox talk for yourself and your subcontractors, capture sign-off, and have a record ready if your client or the HSE asks for it.
Can subcontractors attend the same toolbox talk?
Yes, and they should. Toolbox talks work best when everyone on site hears the same safety message. If subcontractors arrive after a talk, give them a catch-up briefing or share the content digitally so they can read and sign off.
Related guides
How to Run a Toolbox Talk
Frequency, format, and what the HSE expects to see.
Free Toolbox Talk Template
10 common construction topics to get you started, no account required.
Site Induction Guide
Running inductions that tie into your toolbox talk schedule.
What is CDM 2015?
The regulations that sit behind every documented safety briefing.
Where it helps and where it doesn't
Pros
- Library of UK CDM-aligned toolbox talk topics
- Deliver on site, capture signatures against the talk
- Auto-logged against the project — ready for audit
- Custom talks supported for trade-specific hazards
Cons
- Video content not included — talks are written, not video-led
- Talks are English-only today — the 9-language worker translations (Business plan) currently cover site inductions, not toolbox talks
- Printed-sheet sign-off still requires manual upload
Why The Site Book
- UK construction compliance tool that ships RAMS + CPP + COSHH + inductions (readable and acknowledgeable in 9 worker languages on Business, with the language audit-recorded) + worker sign-off, including optional 4-digit shared-link PIN evidence on Business, plus site attendance, portal users, site files, document reviews, subcontractor evidence and inspections/actions.
- Generate a site-specific RAMS first draft from a natural-language brief in under five minutes, ready for competent-person review - not a template library you hand-fill.
- Controlled document workflow without an enterprise contract: version history and a recorded issue confirmation before a document is shared with a client or downloaded in the app on every plan, re-sign on revision with superseded signatures preserved plus PCPP import, cert tracking and document checking from the £39/month Pro plan - and on Business, optional named-approver routing (a designated approver accepts or rejects each version, with recorded reasons, before it can be issued) plus client approve/reject/request-changes via share links.
- Transparent pricing: Starter £0, Pro £39/month or £360/year, Business £199/month with 10 management logins and 50 active site portal users. Worker document signing has no per-signature charge; project workers count as active portal users while assigned.
- Build RAMS for any trade - add your own work types and method statements alongside the built-in library, reusable across projects, including a ready-made Commercial Solar PV group. Save a finished job as a reusable project template, or clone it, so the next job of the same shape starts from your own setup.
- COSHH goes deep: a standalone COSHH assessment document, upload-a-Safety-Data-Sheet extraction, a site-specific substance register and an expert-reviewed library - plus per-worker RAMS sign-off and a one-click Audit Pack covering documents, sign-offs, worker evidence, attendance, incidents, COSHH, permits and up to the latest 500 live Site Diary entries.
Your first toolbox talk — done today
No card needed. No catch. Pick a topic, run the talk, and capture digital sign-off. See how easy site safety briefings can be.