Toolbox Talk Attendance and Training Matrices Serve Different Jobs
Use FieldClear for assigned training requirements, expiry dates and evidence—not as a toolbox-talk delivery or attendance product.
- Assigned requirements by role
- Expiry dates with reminders
- Evidence on the worker record
- Import from the spreadsheet you already use
14-day free trial. No card required.
| Worker | CSCS | IPAF | PASMA | First Aid | Asbestos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmed KhanHVAC Engineer | 12 Aug 28Current | 18 daysExpiring soon | 03 Feb 28Current | 19 Sep 27Current | MissingMissing |
| John SmithSite Supervisor | 04 Jun 29Current | 22 Jan 28Current | 42 daysExpiring soon | 42 daysExpiring soon | 11 Nov 27Current |
| Sarah JonesElectrician | 28 Oct 28Current | 16 May 28Current | 16 May 28Current | 02 Dec 27Current | 09 Jul 28Current |
| Peter BrownGeneral Operative | ExpiredExpired | 14 Apr 28Current | MissingMissing | —Not required | 21 Jan 28Current |
What usually goes wrong
Toolbox talks communicate focused information about work or emerging risks. A training matrix records the requirements assigned to people and the evidence and review dates held. They can inform each other, but they are not interchangeable.
Briefings are treated as qualifications
A toolbox-talk signature can be copied into a training column even when it does not evidence assessed competence or a certificate.
One system is expected to do both jobs
Briefing delivery, signatures and talk versions need a workflow that differs from qualification and expiry tracking.
See the work list, not a coloured grid
Expired, expiring and missing records surface as actions — without recolouring cells by hand each Friday.
Today
Thursday 6 August 2026
Workforce status
53workers
- 46
- meet assigned requirements
- 4
- need attention
- 3
- have expired or missing items
Urgent actions
- 3 expired certificates
- 7 expire within 30 days
- 5 missing documents
Requirements are defined and reviewed by your organisation.
Start from the matrix you already have
Map columns once, import dates and roles, then keep evidence attached to people rather than buried in email.
Map your columns
training-matrix-2026.xlsx · 53 rows · 9 columns
5 of 6 columns matched automatically
- Employee NameWorker nameMatched
- Job TitleRoleMatched
- CSCS Card ExpiryCSCS — expiry dateMatched
- IPAF ExpIPAF — expiry dateMatched
- PASMAPASMA — expiry dateMatched
- NotesIgnore this columnSkipped
Keep briefings and enduring records distinct
Manage toolbox-talk content, delivery, attendance and acknowledgements in the process chosen for site briefings. In FieldClear, record genuine training or competence requirements with dates and evidence. If your organisation chooses to track a briefing as a requirement, label its exact scope and review basis without presenting it as a qualification.
A practical record structure
- Toolbox talk topic, version and delivery date in the briefing system
- Attendees and acknowledgement retained with the talk
- Qualification or training requirement recorded separately
- No artificial certificate expiry added to a one-off briefing
- Clear escalation when a talk identifies a training gap
Keep the decision with the responsible team
FieldClear does not author, issue, deliver or capture attendance for toolbox talks, and it is not RAMS or COSHH assessment software. FieldClear tracks assigned requirements, expiry dates and uploaded evidence. It does not determine legal duties, certify competence or authorise work, and this page is not legal or health and safety advice.
You can keep using Excel. But Excel won’t chase expiries for you.
Excel is flexible, familiar and free, which is exactly why almost every contractor starts there. The limitation isn’t the spreadsheet — it’s that a spreadsheet can only tell you what someone last typed into it.
Keeping it up to date
ExcelManual updatesFieldClearLive matrixShowing status
ExcelManual colour codingFieldClearAutomatic status updatesExpiry warnings
ExcelNo automatic remindersFieldClearExpiry reminders before the dateCertificates and evidence
ExcelStored elsewhereFieldClearAttached to the worker recordVersions
ExcelEasy to create multiple versionsFieldClearSingle source of truthFinding what matters
ExcelHard to see what changedFieldClearFilters and actionsHistory
ExcelNo audit historyFieldClearActivity history
Plenty of contractors run a perfectly good spreadsheet for years. The question isn’t whether Excel works — it’s whether anyone is checking it the week something quietly expires.
Pricing
Simple pricing based on workforce size.
Every plan includes the whole product. The only thing that changes is how many workers you’re tracking.
Starter
£29/month
Up to 25 active workers
For smaller contractors moving off a single spreadsheet.
- Most common
Growth
£59/month
Up to 75 active workers
For growing teams with several roles and requirement sets.
Pro
£99/month
Up to 200 active workers
For established contractors managing multiple teams and sites.
Every plan includes
- Live training matrix
- Certificate and evidence storage
- Expiry reminders
- Spreadsheet import (Excel or CSV)
- Roles and assigned requirements
- Users and permissions
- Activity history
- Filters, search and saved views
- Data export
- Email support
14-day free trial. No card required.
Questions people ask before signing up
Can I import my existing Excel training matrix?
Yes. Upload an Excel or CSV file, map the columns to workers, roles, qualifications and expiry dates, then preview the result. Nothing is created until you confirm the import.
Can I get reminders before certificates expire?
Yes. The system monitors expiry dates and sends reminders in advance. You choose how far ahead reminders are sent and who receives them.
Does the software tell me which qualifications are legally required?
No. The system helps you track the requirements your organisation assigns. You remain responsible for determining what applies to your workers and activities. We do not provide legal or health and safety advice.
Can I store certificates?
Yes. Attach supporting evidence such as PDFs and images to worker records, so the certificate sits alongside the expiry date rather than in a separate folder.
Can I track subcontractors?
Yes. Workers can be recorded as employees, subcontractors, agency workers or other worker types, and you can filter the matrix by type.
How does the free trial work?
You get 14 days with the full product and no card required. Import your matrix, invite colleagues and see whether it fits how you work. If you do nothing at the end of the trial, the account simply stops.
Your training matrix already exists. Make it useful.
Upload your spreadsheet and turn it into a live view of who’s current, what’s expiring and what needs attention.
14-day free trial. No card required.