Free template
A shift handover log so nothing gets lost between crews.
The outgoing lead writes it down. The incoming lead reads it and signs. Print the sheet or save it as a PDF.
Also calledShift change log, Shift turnover report, Shift handoff sheet, End of shift report
Free to print, copy and change. It’s a starting point. Add the lines your equipment and your rules need.
How to use it
Three habits that make it worth filling out.
Step 1
Do it face to face
Walk the area together when you can. A page tells the next lead what happened. Talking tells them what to watch.
Step 2
Put open items first
Write what's unfinished, who has it and how urgent it is. Anything that can hurt someone goes at the top.
Step 3
Read it before you sign
The incoming lead signs to say they've read it and understood it. Ask about anything that's unclear before the other lead leaves.
Do this on a phone instead of paper.
Fill out the handover on a phone, with both leads signing on the screen. It works with no signal, and open items carry over to the next shift.
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Common questions
- What is a shift handover?
- The point where one shift passes the state of the work, the open items and the hazards to the next. A written log makes sure the next crew isn't relying on memory.
- What should go in a handover log?
- The status of the area, unfinished work, safety events, equipment that's down and anything the next shift should watch. Keep it short and specific. Cut anything the next lead doesn't need.
- How long should we keep handover logs?
- Your company decides, based on its policy and the rules that apply to your site. Keep the ones with safety events or tagged equipment where you can find them.
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Shift handover best practices for plants, pads, ramps and yards: what to pass on, a repeatable order, who signs and how open items become tasks.
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Shift handover
A shift handover is the hand-off of status, hazards and open work from one crew to the next, so nothing known gets lost at shift change.
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