Training Matrix Checklist Before Site Start

Tie the checklist to the planned gang and method

Mobilisation fails when teams check “the company matrix” instead of the people who will actually walk through the gate. Lock the named gang from the programme, including supervisors, plant operators and known subcontract substitutes. Compare that list to the access method, plant and residual risks in the construction phase plan or method statements. Only then filter the matrix. A perfect spreadsheet for last month’s soft-strip crew will not save a MEWP week if categories were never assigned.

Pre-start checklist

• Named attendance list agreed with contracts and the supply chain
• Role mapping complete for every person on the list
• Assigned cards and courses verified with evidence attached
• Expiries checked through the planned works window, not only day one
• Missing and not-required statuses reviewed by the responsible supervisor
• First-aid or other cover arrangements cross-checked where your process requires them
• Inductions booked and tracked as project-specific requirements
• Owner named for any open renewals or substitutions before the start meeting

Day-minus workflow

Work backwards from the start date so test centres, card posts and induction slots still have time to respond.

1. At T-14 days, freeze a provisional named list and run expiry filters.
2. At T-10, chase missing evidence and confirm substitutions in writing.
3. At T-5, re-filter after labour changes and escalate single points of failure.
4. At T-2, confirm induction attendance and any site-specific briefings.
5. On start day, admit only people on the verified list or a controlled addition process.
6. After week one, review near-misses in the process—late files, wrong names—and adjust owners.

Keep site start honest when pressure rises

Commercial pressure to “get people on” is when matrices get falsified with booking emails marked as current credentials. Resist that. Record bookings as actions; keep status expired or missing until evidence arrives. If a critical person will not be ready, change the method or sequence through the proper planning route rather than weakening the record. For multi-contractor interfaces, agree whose matrix is authoritative for gate checks and how conflicts are escalated.

After demobilisation spikes or holiday covers, re-run the checklist; returning workers still need current dates. Link this checklist to your wider pre-mobilisation readiness process so training is not the only gate—plant, RAMS and welfare still matter. Use expiry trackers to watch the next thirty days of the programme so mid-job surprises are visible at start, not at the weekly progress meeting.

Checklist limitation

FieldClear shows assigned requirements and expiries to support mobilisation checks. It does not authorise site start, assess competence or guarantee compliance with CDM or client rules. This checklist is operational guidance, not legal advice.