A structured site diary that builds a defensible daily record in two minutes, and a digital permit to work system that tracks every live permit with expiry alerts - two tools that protect site managers legally and operationally.
Day-to-day site management is where projects are won and lost - not in the project plan, but in the daily decisions, instructions and safety controls that add up over months. These two tools give site managers the infrastructure to run a tight site: a contemporaneous record of every day and a permit system that keeps high-risk activities properly controlled.
Daily records with weather, labour, events and delay triggers - defensible in any dispute
The site diary is the most underused document in construction. When a project runs smoothly, it feels like unnecessary paperwork. When a dispute arises - over a delay, a disruption event, a weather-related stoppage or a client instruction - it becomes the most valuable document on the project. The problem is that most site diaries are filled in inconsistently, after the fact, and contain too little detail to be useful.
The FitOut Insider Site Diary gives you a structured daily record that takes two minutes to complete. Each entry captures: date, weather conditions (temperature, wind, precipitation), labour on site by trade and headcount, plant and equipment on site, deliveries received, visitors, instructions received and any delay events or site issues. The AI prompts you for the most important fields and flags if key information is missing before the entry is saved.
Over time, the diary builds an accurate record of site conditions - labour productivity against headcount, weather-related stoppages, the date instructions were received, the sequence of events leading up to a delay. When a delay claim is prepared, the diary provides the factual backbone: on which days was progress impeded, how many operatives were on site, what instructions were given and by whom. Export the diary as a formatted PDF for any date range - weekly for progress meetings, monthly for commercial reports, or selectively for dispute documentation.
The contemporaneous site diary is consistently cited in adjudication and arbitration as the most reliable form of evidence. A diary kept daily, with consistent entries, is far more credible than witness statements prepared months later. Every day you don't fill it in is a day of evidence you've lost.
Hot works, confined space and working at height permits - issued, tracked and closed digitally
Permit to work systems are a legal requirement for high-risk activities on UK construction sites under CDM 2015. Hot works, confined space entry, working at height above fragile surfaces, isolation of electrical systems - each requires a formal written permit that defines the scope of work, the controls in place, the authorised person and the expiry time. On busy fit-out sites with multiple trades working simultaneously, managing paper permits creates real risk: permits that have expired, permits that haven't been cancelled, work starting without authorisation.
The FitOut Insider Permit to Work system covers the four most common permit types on UK fit-out sites: hot works (welding, cutting, grinding), confined space entry, working at height (fragile surfaces, roof access), and electrical isolation. Select the permit type and the AI generates the correct form - pre-populated with your project details and the mandatory control measures for that activity type. The authorised person completes and signs digitally; the operative confirms receipt.
All live permits are shown on the dashboard: who is working, on what activity, in which zone, until when. Expiring permits trigger an alert - 30 minutes before expiry - so the supervisor can either extend or ensure the work area is made safe. When work is complete, the permit is closed with a confirmation that the area has been left safe. Expired unclosed permits are flagged automatically for supervisor action. The full permit history is searchable - by date, type, trade or location - and forms part of your CDM health and safety file.
A fire started by hot works without a valid permit is not just a safety failure - it is a criminal liability. An operative entering a confined space without a permit puts the Principal Contractor at direct risk of manslaughter prosecution. The permit to work system is one of the most important safety controls on site - and one of the easiest to let slip under production pressure.
Both tools are live on FitOut Insider. Start your first site diary entry or issue your first digital permit today - no credit card required.
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