Construction

Ultimate Guide to Safety Management Software for Construction

Posted on May 17, 2021July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

Ultimate Guide to Safety Management Software for Construction

Inspections | Compliance and Safety | Reporting

Construction firms rely on paper forms to complete many essential tasks on job sites. But anyone that’s had to fill out paperwork knows how inefficient, error-prone, and time-consuming the process can be for everyone involved. That’s why organizations are moving to construction jobsite management software and mobile forms to alleviate these concerns.

Going from paper to digital software and forms allows construction companies to:

Avoid losing paperwork. Paper sheets can get lost over time, creating additional risk for the business when information is misplaced or accidentally destroyed. Going digital keeps information secure in the cloud and available in real-time whenever it’s needed.
Limit human error. Paper sheets or spreadsheets can open companies up to human error with mispellings, deleted or missing information, and much more. Going digital allows companies to require what information is submitted, leading to better data quality and standardization.
Save time and money. Considering the direct and indirect costs to a business from paper usage, companies can save time and money by switching to digital forms and software. Automate processes, streamline workflows, and reduce the time everyone spends on busywork.

There is a very compelling business case for construction firms to embrace digitization with software and mobile forms. With the amount of paper and forms needed for safety management programs, there is a significant advantage for firms that can digitize their operations.

This article explains how safety management software works, with examples of the types of solutions utilized within a safety management program. Continue reading for our guide to the types of safety management software and forms that are available to construction firms today.

Use Cases for Safety Management Software and Forms

Incident Reporting

Construction firms use incident reports to formally document any accidents, events, or near-misses in the workplace.

Software and forms are designed to help companies capture information from the job site when incidents happen. The technology helps to document the incident and create a report detailing the events that occurred. This type of solution is used in situations like damage to company property, injuries, safety issues, misconduct, and other types of incident reporting.

Going digital with incident reporting simplifies the process for everyone involved.

Templates can be customized with the exact information that needs to be collected on every incident report. Companies can create unique digital forms for the various types of workplace incidents that occur.

Software solutions are designed to significantly cut down the time it takes to create a report. Reports are typically generated automatically so they can be distributed in real-time via email to OSHA, management, and anyone else that needs the information.

Companies chose to use this type of software and forms for incident reporting to streamline workflows for employees and give greater visibility into operations for management.

Mobile Inspections

Inspections happen during the entire lifecycle of construction projects to make sure that safety standards are being met. While paper forms can be used for inspections, there are many benefits to going digital with software and forms for inspections.

Most inspection software will allow companies to build checklists, conduct inspections, and file all reports from a mobile device or tablet on the job site. This helps to streamline the process for inspectors by giving them a standard set of criteria to look for in the inspection. All of the data for reporting is collected using required fields that ensure data is formatted correctly.

Digital inspection software can also enable businesses to use a dispatching feature to send workers in the field to the correct locations. The entire inspection process can be recorded digitally, signed off on with digital signatures, and saved in the cloud to be accessed by whoever needs to see it.

Software and forms for inspections give companies greater accountability and visibility into their operations, allowing management to spot trends and look for ways to improve their safety management programs in real-time.

Safety Meetings

Construction safety meetings are held regularly as group discussions that focus on one specific safety issue. Companies typically hold these meetings on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis.

Effective safety meetings can deliver significant and proven safety and cost benefits to an organization. Implementing safety meetings can help to decrease insurance rates, legal costs, employee turnover, damaged equipment, and medical costs.

Construction firms can use safety management software to formalize their safety meeting programs across job sites.

With software for safety meetings, your team can complete safety documentation from any mobile phone or tablet. Using required attendance logs, you can collect the names and IDs of every employee at each worksite to ensure they are present for the latest safety information.

Companies can also capture details related to the job site location, project manager, as well as date and time stamps for every briefing. An integrated signature capture field means employees can verify their attendance and signatures can be collected from a foreman or any other safety representative who makes an onsite visit.

Using software and forms for safety meetings helps to ensure that compliance measures are met for every meeting and management teams get greater visibility into overall safety trends.

Job Safety Analysis

Job Safety Analysis is a step-by-step procedure that splits each job into manageable training tasks, identifies the safety components in each task, and trains employees on how to avoid safety hazards.

Job safety analysis pinpoints specific areas that have potential safety risks and helps you keep your workers safe. It also helps your company become compliant with safety guidelines thus reducing your employee turnover and instilling trust in your customers.

Software and forms for JSA are helpful for construction companies to cover safety procedures on job sites, including personal protective equipment, safety training, and machinery safety. The construction safety analysis can be customized to suit the unique needs of a company.

Job safety analysis is another important component of safety programs and going digital can help to streamline the process across construction job sites.

Safety Data Sheets

For companies that manufacture, distribute, or import chemicals, safety data sheets are required to inform employees of the hazardous materials they are handling.

As more companies invest in digitization, it means that companies are moving towards housing much of their critical information in secure, cloud-based platforms using software and mobile forms.

When it comes to SDSs, OSHA indicates that safety data sheets can absolutely be stored as digital documents. OSHA just requires that these SDSs are easily accessible for all employees who need to understand the hazardous chemicals that are being used for their job site.

Having these documents stored digitally and made available through a mobile application will help your team manage the documents and ensure that your workers know where to find the latest version of the SDS.

In the rare case of a power outage or emergency situation, it makes sense to have a hard copy of your SDS available for workers. But otherwise in today’s digitally connected world, it’s going to make sense to have digital copies available for your SDSs that can be readily accessible in a secure mobile device on-site.

Analytics

Data analytics is quickly becoming one of the greatest assets for improving productivity, ensuring safety and compliance, and tracking and reporting on key elements of business operations.

Another key component of a safety management solution using is the ability to have analytics and data insights available.

This type of software solution is helpful for providing meaningful insights in real-time. Instead of compiling information on paper forms and manually creating reports for analytics, companies are adopting this type of analytics solution as part of their technology stack.

Having this type of insight into the business helps inform decision-making for management and operations, giving unprecedented insights into where there are opportunities to improve.

Software and Forms with GoCanvas for Construction

GoCanvas is a mobile platform that makes it simple for businesses to automate how work is done, replacing outdated processes and expensive paperwork. The GoCanvas App works on smartphones and tablets, helping companies easily collect information across their organization, share it instantly with others, and gain real-time insight into their business. Construction firms rely on GoCanvas to increase productivity, promote workplace safety, and create a competitive advantage. You can learn more about all of our safety management software solutions and forms here on our website.

About GoCanvas

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

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Free Template for Roofing Certificate of Completion

Posted on May 16, 2021July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

Free Template for Roofing Certificate of Completion

Workflow Management | Business Operations | Forms

What is a contractor certificate of completion?

A certificate of completion is used in roof installations once a job has been completed. The certificate is an agreement between the contractor and the client that the work has been successfully completed. It creates a record that the client is completely satisfied with the roofing work done.

Using a certificate of completion is a best practice for roofing contracting businesses. It ensures that there is a documented agreement and the certificate is signed by both parties involved. In case a dispute arises, there is a clear record that the roofing work was completed and met the quality standards agreed to by the client.

Clients and homeowners also benefit from having a certificate of completion. This document can be submitted to insurance companies when processing claims and used in real estate transactions to certify work that has been performed on a property.

Benefits of Using Digital Apps for Roofing

With a distributed workforce in the field and on job sites, it has become increasingly popular for contractors to use roofing apps for the certificate of completion. Paper forms can also be used to document a certificate of completion, however paper forms are not the most reliable for businesses. Some of the common pitfalls with paper forms include:

Incomplete or illegible data
Lost or misplaced documents
Inefficient workflows that require manual work

Instead of using paper forms, digital certificates of completion can be created using mobile apps and forms that streamline the process for everyone involved. While paper forms are prone to issues, digital certificates can be backed up in the cloud to ensure that they are always accessible for roofing contractors and their clients.

Key features of a digital certificate of completion for roofing

Mobile forms and apps are making it easier for roofing businesses to manage their processes for certificates of completion. Here are some of the top features of mobile forms and apps that help to make the process as easy as possible:

Mobile forms. With workers that are located across job sites and different geographic locations, mobile forms and apps ensure that workers can submit data from the convenience of their mobile phones.
Standard data. Templates can be created to ensure that data collected from the field is consistent, accurate, and complete. Required form fields ensure that data isn’t missing or left off by mistake.
Digital experience. Streamline the process and modernize how data is collected by using simple forms that make it easy to collect digital signatures, generate PDF reports, and automatically send the documents to anyone else that needs them.
Integrated ecosystem. Mobile apps are also designed to help contractors with many operational tasks, including work orders, inspections, contracts, and much more. Integrate mobile technology with the other cloud services your business uses today to create a modern and connected digital experience.

GoCanvas for Roofing Certificates of Completion and Mobile Forms

GoCanvas provides an app for contractors to document the successful completion of roofing for a building. This mobile form can be used as a template with many of the fields needed for documenting work completed in roofing repairs. One of the advantages of using the GoCanvas platform is that all of our templates are easy to customize to fit the exact needs of any roofing business. Using our no-code platform, anyone can customize the mobile forms and apps without needing advanced technical knowledge or help from an IT resource. Simply drag and drop to customize our roofing apps to suit your business needs. Organizations have found that going digital instead of paper forms has saved their staff time, created a better customer experience, and created a competitive advantage for the business.

roofing certificate of completion example

Here’s what you can expect to find with the GoCanvas app:

Roofing installation and repair app capture all the most important details of completed roof replacements, general roof repair jobs, and installation of roofing solutions.
Simply enter the details of the residential and commercial roofing company job into the roofing completion form app, including roofing materials used, roof inspections, and more. Use the electronic signature capture feature to get customer approval.
Once the roofing installation and repair template has been completed, the commercial roofing app automatically saves the data in an electronic format for your records.

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Reporting | Business Operations

What Is Near Miss Reporting?

Posted on May 15, 2021July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

What Is Near Miss Reporting?

It’s impossible to stress how important workplace safety is for a successful business. Proper safety protocols and procedures not only protect your valuable team and assets but prevent costly disruptions to efficiency and production. Even the safest workplaces have incidents and accidents, though. Routine reporting of any accidents to analyze risk and safety procedures is an essential step in tackling issues and refining policies to provide a safer workplace.

Though “near miss” incidents –incidents where no one harm was done but potentially could’ve been– reveal the same vulnerabilities in safety procedure, they are often neglected in reporting. Below, we’ll discuss the advantages of diligently reporting near misses, and the advantages an organization can gain by taking all incidents seriously while developing its safety ecosystem.

What is a near miss report?

OSHA defines a near miss incident as a close call in which a worker might have been hurt if the circumstances had been slightly different. Beyond the scope of the OSHA definition, many organizations also include potential harm to valuable equipment or infrastructure as near miss incidents. Near miss reports should be filed with the same diligence as every other incident, as they still shed light on vulnerabilities in safety protocols.

Near miss incidents are often reported through the same means for normal incident reports. An organization should account for these reports and be able to accept both while still being able to differentiate between the two. If your company is using a comprehensive safety management solution, users are able to quickly and anonymously submit reports of either near miss, or typical incidents from a mobile app.

Near miss reports should be taken seriously, and they should be treated with the same importance as harmful incident reports. Near miss incidents not only can shake up workers’ morale when they see vulnerabilities in safety protocols first-hand, but they can shed valuable light on problems allowing them to be rectified before serious harm occurs. Organizations that have a healthy reporting system for near miss reports will not only suffer less costly incidents but increase morale by proving to workers that safety is important if proper attention is applied to reports.

The advantages of near miss reporting

Organizations can’t afford to neglect near miss reporting. Near misses can easily be early warning signs of problems to come and represent vulnerabilities in safety that can’t be overlooked. Incorporating reporting for near miss incidents into safety and operations planning can have many advantages that can be leveraged by organizations to increase safety and efficiency overall.

Identify and control risks before incidents happen

Near miss reporting can be important warnings of more serious issues. Paying the same attention to investigating near miss incidents as you would a serious injury can yield valuable insights into safety issues without the monetary cost of serious injury or incident.

OSHA outlines the importance of root cause analysis during incident investigation in a 2016 fact sheet, saying “By conducting a root cause analysis and addressing root causes, an employer may be able to substantially or completely prevent the same or similar incident from recurring. Conducting the same root cause analysis on near miss incidents informs your safety policy, potentially preventing harmful incidents before they occur.

Near miss reporting is often described as a free lesson because it enables companies to proactively resolve hazards before a tragic or costly incident occurs. When a worker discovers a potentially dangerous situation, completing a near miss report means the risk can be resolved before it causes harm to their teammates.

Create a culture of safety

When your crew knows that their safety is a priority within your business, morale inevitably goes up. Providing your workers with the resources and training to identify and report near misses helps them know that their well-being is an important aspect of daily operations. This encourages them to be more safety-minded in all their duties and can increase compliance and reporting across your entire organization. Safety culture develops from example. As your employees see that safety is an organizationally fundamental value for your company, it will become a culturally important value to them.

It is vitally important to train your crew on what defines a near miss, why it is important to report such hazards, and to lay out a clear reporting process. Many organizations streamline the reporting process with safety management software that includes established checklists and forms for near miss reports. Using a digital solution gives workers the opportunity for anonymous reporting and improves efficiency and mistakes by limiting paperwork.

If cultivating a culture of safety within your organization starts with training and example, it ends with trust. The goal of near miss reports is to keep your workers safe and get them looking out for possible risks. Positive safety culture comes when your team trusts that you are looking out for their best interest, but if your investigations are focused on blame rather than root cause analysis and risk mitigation, your safety culture can quickly begin to feel like a witch hunt to your employees. This discourages their participation in safety reporting and procedures and disengages them as a whole from safety culture.

As near miss incidents have no damage or accident, they are an excellent opportunity to show your team that reporting is about focusing on their safety in the future, not about assigning blame and punishing mistakes. This promotes a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting incidents and safety shortcomings, which promotes a safer and more efficient business.

Inform protocols and training

Safety managers can use data from near miss reporting to improve training programs, develop safer work processes, educate personnel at daily safety meetings, and fix any faulty equipment that could lead to an accident. Prevention is the core of safety, and proactive safety programs can be developed from compiling near miss data, giving employers the opportunity to resolve systemic risks and provide their crew with the latest safety measures on a daily basis.

Workplace safety is impossible without sufficient training to inform workers of possible risks and how to safely manage tasks. Near miss reporting gives important data about possible incidents and accidents, allowing the development of more comprehensive training to prevent issues in the future.

Without adequate near miss reporting, systemic safety issues don’t become obvious until costly accidents already occur. Near miss reports give an organization the opportunity to address close calls as warning signs to refine their procedures going forward.

Communication, transparency, and compliance

Maintaining, investigating, and acting on reports for near miss incidents can ensure compliance with various human resources and safety regulations. While regulatory requirements will vary greatly depending on location, more transparency and a documented history of an effort to improve safety will always be of benefit to compliance.

More data potentially could shield you from liabilities in the future. History of acting to rectify safety issues revealed by near miss incidents can be a strong refutation of future negligence suits or fines. Transparency is important in communication with investors as well and proving that you have a track record of promoting safety as an organization is promising for them to see.

Safe workers for a successful business

Safe workers are much more likely to be happy workers in the long run. If no action was taken on a near miss incident, workers will be more worried and timid, and may actually find temporary solutions to the problem that are even less safe. If near miss incidents aren’t taken seriously or even accepted at all, it can make workers feel like their employer does not care about their safety. This can destroy morale and make productivity and profitability suffer. Worst, it puts the people who make your organization run at risk. Employers have a responsibility to protect their employees. Employees are happier, more engaged, and more productive when they see this duty being met.

A comprehensive safety management program

A safety management program that neglects near miss reports is missing one of its biggest assets to develop sustainable solutions. Such a system will never reach its potential in preventative safety. Near miss incident reporting is absolutely required to see problems before they arise to better craft safety procedures that avoid those issues in the future.

Near miss incident reports can also serve to engage employees in safety programs. This personnel is your first line of defense against risks, and they should know it. Communicating to your team that they can help manage risk with reporting of near miss incidents along with showing them that the organization will act to improve safety based on those reports will help build a culture of safety that can vastly improve the effectiveness of a safety management program.

Streamlining a safety management program to accommodate near miss reporting can be easily accomplished with safety management software. These solutions offer standardization of documentation and convenient reporting for all types of incidents. The increased accessibility of remote access and mobile compatibility not only make personnel more likely to document incidents but also make it more efficient to process and compile data from reports.

GoCanvas offers comprehensive security management software solutions that can give you the tools you need to increase safety and efficiency. Incident reports can be entered remotely and fielded immediately, cutting out any time-consuming red tape, so you can react to risks more quickly, more efficiently, and more effectively. Click here to see how safety management software can help you today.

About GoCanvas

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

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Free Construction Change Order Forms and Templates

Posted on May 9, 2021July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

Free Construction Change Order Forms and Templates

Analytics and Data Collection | Business Operations | Forms

What is a change order form?

Change order forms are used in the construction industry when changes to the contract are required. Change orders happen when a client or contractor decides that changes are needed to the initial agreement. This could be to add time and material costs or other similar changes to the overall scope of work.

Change orders happen on almost every construction project to account for additional work that is needed along the way. This article summarizes the purpose of construction change order forms and provides several free templates that can be used by contractors for different types of change orders in construction.

What are the causes of a change order?

Companies do their best to avoid change orders, but there are many circumstances in which change orders become necessary in a construction project. Some common reasons include:

Ambiguities in the original contract or design drawings
Unforeseen circumstances that could not have been known
Challenges with materials or supply chain issues
Poor project management

Regardless of the reason to initiate a change order, it’s important that all parties involved have clear documentation included in the construction change order form.

What to include in a construction change order form

The construction change order form will be different depending on the company and project needs. Here are some of the basic types of information included in many scenarios:

Project-specific details. All of the basic information needed to know about the project.
Changes to be made. Detailed changes to the scope of work and any justification for the changes to be made.
Updated timeline and pricing. Change orders usually cause changes to the initial pricing and timeline, so clearly documenting expectations is needed in the change order.
Line for signatures. Most change orders will require signatures as proof that both parties agreed to the updated agreements.

While most of this can be captured using paper forms, there are some clear benefits to managing the process with digital forms and apps for change orders.

Key Benefits of Using Digital Forms Rather than Paper

Changes to the scope of work can cause delays and overruns on budget, so it’s important to have clear documentation for record-keeping. Should litigation arise, it’s important to have these documents available.

Instead of using paper forms or one-off Word documents or PDF documents, companies are starting to leverage mobile app platforms to provide secure, digital forms for change orders. This benefits construction firms and clients in a number of ways:

Increased efficiency. Instead of employees traveling between the office and job location to submit paperwork, all of this can be managed digitally. With construction change order forms managed through a mobile device or tablet, changes can be made from anywhere and digital signatures can all be collected through one platform.
Increased visibility in the field. Digital construction change order forms allow you to instantly transfer in-progress change orders from one person to another to review, approve, or reject then sync to the cloud for easy access. PDF copies and reports can be generated in real-time and shared with the appropriate parties via email or notification.
Avoid expensive storage volume, costs, and searchability. Store all of your completed change orders in the cloud for easy access from anywhere, anytime.
Avoid damaged or lost paperwork. Electronic submissions eliminate the risk of damaged and lost paperwork. Access your data anytime from anywhere from a mobile device. Solutions for digital forms can prevent data loss and avoid version control issues that create confusion.

Getting Started with Construction Change Order Forms on GoCanvas

GoCanvas is a mobile platform that makes it simple for businesses to automate how work is done, replacing outdated processes and expensive paperwork. The GoCanvas App works on smartphones and tablets, helping companies easily collect information across their organization, share it instantly with others, and gain real-time insight into their business. Construction firms and contractors rely on GoCanvas to increase productivity, streamline business operations, and create a competitive advantage.

Below you will find some of our most popular templates that can be used for digital change order forms for construction firms and contractors. You can get started for free using our templates and customize them to fit you specific business requirements.

Construction Change Order Form Templates and Examples

Construction Change Order Form

Change orders happen on almost every construction project to account for additional work that is needed along the way. Whether you have small changes to the construction project’s estimated costs or need to scope out the overhead costs for more substantial work, this construction change order form template can quickly generate the form for you.

Subcontractor Change Order Form

The subcontractor change order form is similar to the basic change order that tracks the running changes to the project. However, this template is designed to be used solely between a contractor and subcontractor. This template can be used when there is a change to a subcontract purchase order that would require a change to the scope of work and updated documents.

Time & Materials Change Order Form

When extra work is needed on a construction project, the general contractor or construction manager can create a change order form using this time and materials change order form. Change orders are often done on a time and materials (T&M) basis, even if the original contract is fixed-fee. It’s faster and easier than calculating all the materials and their cost, estimating the labor, then adding overhead and profit.

time and materials change order template

Change Order Log

As a general contractor in construction management, this construction change order log will help you save time, work, and money on every owner-contractor agreement. When everyone has access to the same construction documents, you can avoid breach of contract terms, contract disputes, and construction disputes so you can keep the project on schedule.

Electrical Contractors Change Order

The electrical contractors change order is designed to prevent work delays on electrical projects. Efficiently process change requests from your smartphone or tablet. Perfect for use by project managers or general contractors who need to manage change orders for their electrical sub-contractors.

electrical contractors changer order template

Looking for additional templates?

GoCanvas has hundreds of pre-built forms with a variety of features to fit all of your business needs. Discover more construction change order forms that are available in our Application Store.

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About GoCanvas

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

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Analytics and Data Collection | Compliance and Safety

What You Need to Know About OSHA Compliance

Posted on May 7, 2021July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

What You Need to Know About OSHA Compliance

Worker safety has long been a priority among employers, workers, unions, and other stakeholders. However, the coronavirus pandemic has brought mainstream attention to this issue and shed light on a largely obscure agency known as OSHA. OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and is an agency in the U.S. Department of Labor responsible for ensuring workplace safety. Established in 1971 as a provision of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (the OSH Act) a year earlier, OSHA sets workforce safety standards for private employers and the federal government and conducts training to help employers ensure OSHA compliance.

Despite its half-century history, OSHA’s standards and compliance requirements remain unfamiliar to many employers and even many human resources professionals. Yet noncompliance can not only result in stiff penalties, but compromise worker safety, damage corporate reputations, and elicit expensive litigation.

OSHA Standards

Broadly, the OSH Act requires certain employers to provide a safe workplace to workers under the parameters of the law and OSHA standards and regulations. Section 5 of the act includes a “general duty clause,” which holds that covered employers must not only provide a safe workplace but must keep abreast with the best safety practices for their industry and establishment. Further, employers must provide personal protective equipment when workers are expected to work in unsafe conditions.

OSHA may act under the general duty clause when covered employers know that a correctable hazard exists of which an employer is aware (or should be aware) and which could cause serious harm or death. To ensure employers are aware of what conditions may constitute a correctable and dangerous hazard, OSHA has established many general and industry-specific safety rules and regulations by which employers must abide.

Compliance and employer responsibilities

Covered employers must remediate workplace safety deficiencies while continuously working to mitigate new and emerging workplace risks. As per the OSHA website, employers must:

“Develop and implement a written hazard communication program and train employees on the hazards they are exposed to and proper precautions.”
“Provide safety training in a language, and vocabulary workers can understand.”
“Use color codes, posters, labels or signs to warn employees of potential hazards.”
“Post, at a prominent location within the workplace, the OSHA poster informing employees of their rights and responsibilities.”
“Establish or update operating procedures and communicate them so that employees follow safety and health requirements.”

Section 8 grants OSHA the authority to perform health and safety inspections at any covered employer’s worksite. If a worksite is found to violate OSHA’s health and safety standards, the employer must remediate the violation and may be subject to penalties. Furthermore, the employer must post any OSHA citations where the violation occurred until it has been remediated, or for three working days, whichever is longer.

Section 8 of the OSH Act further establishes a covered employer’s legal reporting responsibilities, mandating employers to keep illness and injury records stemming from incidents that have occurred on-site or as a result of work performed on-site. Employers are further obligated to provide access to employee medical records and injury logs open request. They must also report workplace fatalities or worksite incidents that result in three or more hospitalizations to OSHA within eight hours.

Inspections

OSHA inspections may be programmed or unprogrammed. Programmed inspections involve randomly selecting several employers to audit within an industry to ensure that their worksites are in compliance. Unprogrammed inspections are typically initiated through employee outreach to the agency. Workers whose employers are covered by the OSH Act may seek an OSHA inspection themselves and participate in any subsequent investigation. (Employers may not retaliate against any worker for exercising these rights as per Section 11(c) of the OSH Act).

OSHA inspectors (or compliance officers) typically perform a good deal of due diligence before coming on site. They usually do not provide advance notice of their inspections, with certain limited exceptions. But when an OSHA inspector does arrive, they will first share with the employer the reason for their arrival during a pre-inspection opening conference.

The inspector will conduct a physical walk-through of the premises, allowing one employer representative to accompany them. The inspector will also review all employee safety notices and training materials, as well as illness and injury records. After these reviews, the OSHA inspector will meet with the employer’s representatives to discuss the inspector’s findings and any necessary corrective measures that must be taken.

Penalties

If a worksite is found to be out of compliance with OSHA standards, the agency will issue citations and fines. An OSHA citation must be made within six months of the violation’s observed occurrence and will include:

The nature of the violation
The severity of the violation
Penalties for the violation
A deadline for corrective action

However, if an inspection has resulted in proposed citations and fines, employers do have the opportunity to meet with the OSHA Area Director for their region. The agency leverages penalties to ensure OSHA compliance more so than for punitive reasons. So if employers without extensive histories of violations are making good faith efforts to remediate safety issues, some leeway concerning penalties and remediation timeframes may be found during such a meeting.

Employers may also appeal any penalties within 15 days of receipt of the violations. Appeals are reviewed by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission for a final judgment.

Safety Best Practices

OSHA encourages all employers, covered or not, to develop their own workplace safety and health plan that minimally complies with OSHA standards and any relevant state or local-level workplace safety laws or ordinances. Doing so can help covered employers keep workers safe and avoid OSHA violations, penalties, and expensive remediation costs.

Through its national network of OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, the agency also conducts training on various workplace safety issues so that employers can learn how to comply with new OSHA regulations, address emerging hazards, and strengthen their internal programs. Employers can and should take advantage of these training opportunities, as well as participate in OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program. This program provides small and midsize businesses with free strategic safety advice from OSHA representatives, which can help them avoid accidents, high mediation costs, and OSHA violations at inspection.

SHARP Certification

An additional advantage of participating in the On-Site Consultation Program is that if an employer is found to have established an exemplary health and safety program, they may be eligible for SHARP certification. SHARP, which stands for Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program, is a recognition that not only distinguishes an employer from their industry peers. SHARP-certified employers are exempt from being randomly inspected for a programmed inspection for two years.

However, it is important to note that SHARP-certified employers must remain in compliance with all applicable safety standards during their certification period. Employers may still face unprogrammed inspections if an employee reports one or more hazards and reaches out to the agency to request an OSHA inspection.

Safety Training and Education

Employers and employees often believe that OSHA provides additional certification. It does not. However, workers who complete basic worker safety training in specific industries provided by OSHA-authorized trainers may receive an OSHA card certifying completion. These trainings include:

Construction (10 or 30 hours)
General Industry (10 or 30 hours)
Maritime (10 or 30 hours)
Disaster Site (15 hours)

Employers who provide their employees access to this training may benefit from a workforce more dedicated to safe practices, identifying and remediating hazards, and lower injury and illness rates.

OSHA’S website also offers training materials covering everything from best practices to training. There’s even a “Safety Pays” program online that can help employers assess the cost savings they will realize by implementing best practices in worker safety at their facilities.

Employers and HR staff should thoroughly review these materials, especially the recordkeeping and reporting requirements, as failing to keep complete records is a frequent source of OSHA violations. The website features the required forms and instructions available for download. However, employers who use these printed forms risk misplacement, illegible entries, or other similar issues garnering them an OSHA citation.

Rather than risking OSHA citations and fines by using paper forms, employers should rely on digitized versions of these forms that can be updated and stored electronically. GoCanvas specializes in creating these forms in use by various employers across industries. Our GoCanvas Safety package provides you with the safety forms and customization options you need to manage your reporting and compliance requirements in the field. Employees can securely record necessary safety information on mobile devices that you can access in real-time, as well as sort, share, and analyze.

With a graphics-rich dashboard, you’ll be able to easily identify potential hazards before they result in an injury, illness, or OSHA citation. And with robust customization options, you can tailor pre-built safety forms to your specific reporting needs or workflows. Or you can design your own entirely. By improving their reporting tools and processes, GoCanvas customers have reduced their risk by 18 percent. Don’t wait until an OSHA inspector shows up in your parking lot to strengthen your recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

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Analytics and Data Collection | Business Operations | Field Operations

Getting Started with Land Survey Apps

Posted on May 5, 2021July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

Getting Started with Land Survey Apps

Land surveyors are tasked on job sites with making precise measurements to determine the physical property boundaries. They provide all of the relevant data needed to understand the shape and contour of the Earth’s surface for engineering, mapmaking, and construction projects, according to the Department of Labor.

Is there an app for land surveying?

While much of a land surveyor’s work is recorded using specific instruments designed for the job, there are also mobile apps that can be used for land surveying. These apps are designed to help with collecting and consolidating information in the field during the land survey and used for reporting purposes. Mobile apps available on iPhone, Android, and other mobile devices in the field can be used to capture data and automatically generate the report to save time for land surveyors.

Top Benefits of Using Land Survey Apps

Using a mobile app for land surveys is designed to eliminate the use of paper sheets for recording information in the field. Instead of paper sheets, data is recording into a mobile app specifically for the land survey process and stored securely in the cloud. Digitizing information is beneficial for businesses in several ways:

Ensure Accuracy.Using a mobile app for land surveys ensures that the data collected on site is recorded in real-time, for the most accurate recollection of details on site.
Create Standardization. Companies also benefit from having standadized templates and required fields on mobile forms help to ensure that all of the required information is collected properly.
Increase Efficiency. Instead of spending hours manually creating a report after the site survey, mobile apps are designed to automatically generate a formatted report to save time and effort for employees.
Scale Operations. For complex organizations with large field operations, software and mobile apps can help scale processes and ensure consistency across different sites and teams.
Avoid Risk. While paper sheets can be misplaced or destroyed by mistake, digital records that are automatically backed up in the cloud will ensure that documentation is always available when it’s needed.

What to look for in a land survey app

There are several key things to look for when implementing mobile forms and apps used by land surveyors.

Field data capture and report generation

At a very basic level, land survey apps will be designed for field data capture and report generation. This allows the land surveyor to capture information in the field and record it on the mobile device, so that a PDF report can be generated when all of the data is collected. Once a report has been generated, mobile apps can be designed to send a report via email to the appropriate parties.

Customizable templates

Most mobile app providers will give companies the ability to start from a template for a land survey and other similar jobs on site. Templates are often used as a starting point and companies will customize the templates based on the specific type of survey.

For example, a mine surveyor would have a different template than a construction site surveyor, with different fields being captured based on the specific use case.

No-code or low-code platforms

When selecting a mobile app for land surveying, ease-of-use for non-technical users is an important feature to look for. No-code or low-code platforms allow you to deploy apps for field workers, without any help from IT or advanced technical knowledge. This allows any business type to implement the technology and use a drag-and-drop editor for mobile app development.

Key Features of a Land Survey App

When comparing apps for land surveys, there are a number of features that would be useful for capturing data in the field. This includes things like:

Signature Capture. Allows individuals to sign off and officially sign documents directly from the field and sent to any other required parties.
Image Capture. Using native functionality of mobile devices allows users to collect images to be included in the land survey.
Offline Capabilities. With remote job sites that do not have access to internet, mobile apps can allow you to digitally collect data and then have it be saved offline and synced to the cloud when an internet connection is available again.
Reference Data. Integrate other data sources into the mobile app to streamline the forms with any relevant information that can be pre-populated to simplify data collection.
Dispatch. Manage the process online to schedule and dispatch the right worker to perform the land survey.
GPS Monitoring. Leverage GPS functionality of a mobile device to have a digital record of the physical location of the job site where work was performed.
Integrations and APIs. Sync any information seamlessly between the apps in the field and other cloud-based platforms your business uses.

Free Land Survey App for iPhone and Android Mobile Devices

Get started for free with GoCanvas using our land survey app available on iPhone and Android mobile devices. This template can be used for many different types of land surveys and gives businesses the flexibility to customize the app to fit their specific need. Construction firms and land surveyors find that by using GoCanvas for field data collection and reporting, they’re able to save time and money by digitizing these processes in a mobile app platform.

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What Is a Timesheet?

Posted on April 17, 2021July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

What Is a Timesheet?

Business Operations

A timesheet is a data table that allows you to report the time worked on a job. Instead of using a simple punch card to clock in and clock out, companies will use timesheets for tracking time and related information about the job. Paper or excel spreadsheets are simple methods for time tracking, but many companies prefer to instead use digital technology like mobile apps and software for timesheets.

Much of what’s included on a timesheet is up to the company’s unique needs, so the ability for customization is important when choosing a tool. For example, some organizations may need their employees to fill out timesheets at a determined frequency — like a monthly timesheet, a bi-weekly or weekly timesheet, or a daily timesheet. Companies may also need more detail than a simple time-in/time-out line, so the digital timesheet can be customized to include more detailed information about the particular job site or client information.

Pros and Cons of Different Types of Timesheets

There are definitely some pros and cons when it comes to choosing a tool for timesheets.

Paper timesheets and excel files are basic tools that are simple and not very expensive upfront. The downside with these options is that there tend to be costs in the long-term due to inaccuracies with work hours and inefficiencies for processing the data.

Inaccuracies can happen when an excel file or document is modified or changed by mistake, due to a human error. It’s possible that employees can delete or corrupt data that creates additional work later on trying to reconcile these issues. For processing the information, paper sheets or excel sheets can create additional work that is often manual and time-consuming. For example, an accounting team may be required to spend additional work processing payroll because the data lives in a spreadsheet on someone’s computer or on a paper sheet that needs to be digitized manually.

To avoid these issues, companies have found that mobile apps and software for timesheets are a better alternative. Timesheet software and apps allow employees to fill in their time and any additional information into a digital form.

Digital timesheets are very useful when employees need to use a timesheet in the field. Simply using a mobile application on a phone, employees can digitize the information and set the company up for success. While there may be a small cost involved with mobile apps and software, companies have found that the efficiency, accuracy, and insights gained are able to offset any of the upfront investment. No matter the size of your organization, there are many great reasons to move your business over from paper or excel sheets, into a more reliable business application that is specifically designed to improve the timesheet processes for your operations.

Why are timesheets necessary?

Timesheets are necessary because they create a record of the time that team members or employees spent working.

Companies can also use timesheets for more advanced purposes. For example, project managers may want to use timesheets to understand if projects are progressing on time and budget. Another example is lawyers or professional services teams that need to record their billable hours and detailed information about services rendered to the client. Timesheets are necessary for keeping an accurate record of this information, both for invoicing purposes and documentation.

Many companies also find that timesheets give them greater insight into the work being performed. By understanding how employees, freelancers, and contractors use their time, companies can execute business processes and personnel changes to improve efficiency and revenue. Having this information stored digitally helps to enable companies to easily report on the information that is collected.

Should exempt employees fill out timesheets?

A question that comes up regularly is whether or not exempt employees who are salaried need to fill out timesheets.

For employees who do not get paid on an hourly basis, timesheets can still be valuable tools. A daily timesheet can help these types of employees understand how they are using their time and help determine an effective hourly rate. Knowing the effort required to perform work can help determine fair salaries, award additional time off, and determine appropriate pricing for any services those employees provide.

Another benefit to exempt, salaried employees filling out timesheets is for human resources and record-keeping purposes. A timesheet creates a valuable record for noting when a worker is present and when they are using PTO or sick leave.

How do timesheet apps improve time tracking?

Timesheet software and timesheet mobile apps can help organizations of all sizes and with multiple employees or worker types. Here are some of the key benefits of these technologies:

Real-time tracking: An advanced feature with apps is that they can utilize GPS data, worker activity, and more to automatically maintain a record of time.
Field data-collection: Timesheet apps are available on iOS or Android devices, so employees can submit information in the field with ease.

Consistent and trusted information: Apps are designed to standardize how the data is collected, helping to avoid human error and mistakes that are common with paper sheets or excel.
Streamlined business processes: Staff members save valuable time when the information is digitized and the data can be used to automate other related tasks or workflows. For example, apps can be integrated with payroll software or HR software to streamline how your teams work.

Timesheet apps and software are simple but very effective for tracking time and any related information to the job. Paper forms and spreadsheets may be a simple option to start, but ultimately these tools will lead to data issues later on that are not ideal for your business. Consider switching to a mobile app for time tracking to eliminate these issues and to gain the operational efficiencies that help your business work smarter.

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6 Benefits of Inspection Apps for Business

Posted on April 15, 2021July 28, 2025 by GoCanvas Team

6 Benefits of Inspection Apps for Business

Inspections | Compliance and Safety | Integrations

Many companies are starting to use inspection apps to streamline this process for employees that need to perform regular inspections as part of their job duties.

The typical inspection involves filling out a series of forms or checklists to record all of the relevant information. The next step in the process involves creating a report with all of the information compiled for distribution to anyone that needs it.

There’s really a wide range of use cases for these apps, including:

Real estate transactions
Safety inspections
Building inspections
Machinery or equipment inspections
Vehicle inspections
And much more

What are the benefits of an inspection app?

Historically, companies used paper forms as the primary mode of collecting data, but more firms are beginning to move away from paper-based processes. Companies are now switching to digital apps that can simplify the process for everyone involved and eliminate the headaches of using paper forms.

Bringing the process into the digital world is beneficial to organizations in a number of different ways. Here are some of the key benefits:

Business efficiencies: Inspectors are able to perform their jobs better and faster on mobile apps. They can collect photos and text notes that are recorded digitally and the reports can be generated automatically for them.

Standard data: One important factor is the ability to standardize how the data is collected, with reports that are consistent regardless of who performs the inspection.

Improved processes: Businesses need visibility into their operations in real-time. Technology today allows you to track issues in the field and have a quick turnaround time if another action needs to be taken, like scheduling further maintenance or repairs, for example.

6 key features available in inspection apps

There are many reasons to switch to a mobile app instead of using paper. Since apps are designed to be used on a mobile device or tablet, you get some advanced features with the technology that simply isn’t possible using paper.

Here are some of the features you gain when using an app for inspections:

1. Integrated with iOS or android camera for image capture

Many inspections require that you document items with images. Since mobile devices have powerful cameras built-in, inspections performed using the app can streamline taking photos and adding them to the report. Images are captured in real-time and can be associated with specific inspection items. An added feature is the ability to annotate images and highlight any problem areas.

2. Offline functionality

The ability to do work offline is an important feature for many business types. There are many people that need to perform inspections in areas that do not have an internet connection (such as a rural area or a basement). Inspection apps can collect and store the data while offline while you are on site. Once you are able to access the internet again, the app will sync everything back up to the cloud.

3. Cloud-based technology

The cloud-based technology of inspection apps is a benefit for businesses today. With data that is stored securely in the cloud, you can have peace of mind that your data is always backed up and easily accessible from anywhere.

Inspection software platforms should have a high level of IT security infrastructure built-in and should also have compliance for things like GDPR and HIPPA requirements.

Modern technology has come a long way to ensuring that your business can effectively operate online using tools that are readily available to businesses of all sizes.

4. Reports in real-time

The ability to report on data in near real-time is a big reason to switch to apps versus paper. Creating a report on paper often takes additional time and slows down getting that information into the hands of people that need it.

When you create an inspection using an app, it files the report automatically and submits the report to all of the required recipients without creating additional work. This saves time and effort for inspectors by allowing them to finish their work and simply press the submit button to generate a report.

Most inspection apps use templates as a starting point and you can customize the templates to be consistent with your company’s brand and unique needs.

5. GPS functionality

Another built-in feature of a mobile device is your GPS functionality. This gives you the ability to verify the exact location of the property, equipment, vehicle, or item that’s undergoing inspection.

Location tracking can be an added benefit for companies that really need to understand the precise location of something to do their jobs more efficiently.

Companies that want to automate their processes can also consider using location data in the field to streamline other tasks, like automatically generating work orders or other types of follow-up tasks that need to be performed.

6. Automation to streamline workflows

With automation tools built into inspection apps, it’s all about working smarter and reducing the amount of manual work your teams need to do.

Using these tools, you can automatically generate any of the follow-up actions that need to be performed after an inspection occurs. Depending on your business, you might have different use cases for how this would work. Most often it involves integrating your different cloud tools and systems you have in place to communicate with one another.

You can also think of automation in the form of push notifications or email notifications that are designed to alert different people after the inspection occurs. In today’s digitally connected world, you should always look for applications that can help to automate tasks and streamline your workflows to save you valuable time.

Inspection templates for your use case

Looking for a specific inspection template for your business? Make sure to check out our library of pre-built templates in the GoCanvas app store that can help you get started for free.

Our app builder requires no coding or advanced technical knowledge, which means you can build and customize your apps to fit your exact needs. Check out the GoCanvas website here for additional resources and templates for all of your inspection needs.

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