Visitor safety briefing template (PDF) with visitor log
One-page safety rules for visitors with nine rules from signing in and escort to protective equipment and behaviour in an alarm, fields for emergency numbers and assembly point, signature – plus a visitor log with arrival and departure.
As of PDFAMS Go editorial team
Free: sign up for the newsletter once and all templates are unlocked in this browser. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Visitors know neither the hazards of your premises nor the escape routes and assembly point. German law does not impose a duty to instruct them like the one for employees (Section 12 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, ArbSchG) – but you are still responsible: whoever controls sources of danger must protect third parties under the duty to maintain safety (Verkehrssicherungspflicht) derived from Section 823 of the Civil Code (BGB), emergency measures must take the presence of other persons into account (Section 10 ArbSchG), and unauthorised persons must not enter hazardous parts of the premises (Section 9 DGUV Regulation 1).
This template summarises the most important rules on one page that visitors receive and sign at reception: signing in, escort, traffic routes, protective equipment, house rules, behaviour in an alarm and after accidents, plus fields for emergency numbers and the assembly point. Page 2 is a visitor log with arrival and departure – in an alarm, the basis for checking at the assembly point whether everyone is out. Anyone working on your premises, such as a contractor's fitter, needs a contractor safety briefing instead (Section 8 (2) ArbSchG).
What the template contains
- Page 1: safety information for visitors with nine rules in plain language
- Fields for emergency numbers, reception, contact person, assembly point and first aiders
- Free-text field for site-specific rules and a reference to the privacy information under Art. 13 GDPR
- Confirmation with signatures of the visitor and the contact person
- Page 2: visitor log for 20 entries with date, company, contact person, arrival, departure and signature
How to use the template
- 1
Adapt it to your site
Enter the emergency numbers, reception and assembly point, add special rules such as hygiene zones or areas requiring protective equipment in the free-text field and state where visitors can find the privacy information. Then print a supply.
- 2
Hand it out at reception
Visitors receive the information when signing in, read it and sign. The contact person collects them, accompanies them in production and the warehouse and provides protective equipment where needed. File the signed sheets with the visitor data.
- 3
Keep the visitor log
Reception enters arrival and departure. In an alarm, someone takes the log to the assembly point and checks whether all visitors are out. Destroy expired sheets after the deletion period you have set.
Legal basis
- Section 823 (1) of the Civil Code (BGB): basis of the duty to maintain safety developed by case law – reasonable precautions to protect third parties from hazards in your own area of responsibility
- Section 10 (1) ArbSchG: first aid, firefighting and evacuation measures – taking the presence of other persons into account
- Section 9 DGUV Regulation 1: ensure that unauthorised persons do not enter parts of the premises if this creates a hazard
- ASR A2.2 No. 7.1 (2): display rules of conduct in case of fire, among other things where visitors or contractors are frequently present in the workplace
- Art. 13 and Art. 5 GDPR: informing visitors about the collection of their data, data minimisation, storage limitation and confidentiality
Frequently asked questions
Is a safety briefing for visitors mandatory in Germany?
There is no explicit duty to instruct visitors like the one for employees – Section 12 ArbSchG applies to employees. However, you must protect third parties from hazards on your premises (duty to maintain safety), consider other persons present in your emergency measures (Section 10 ArbSchG) and keep unauthorised persons away from hazardous areas (Section 9 DGUV Regulation 1). Short written safety information with a confirmation fulfils these tasks in practice and serves as proof if damage occurs.
How does it differ from a contractor safety briefing?
Anyone working on your premises – service technicians, fitters or cleaning staff of a contractor, for example – is an employee of another employer. For these people you must make sure they have received appropriate instructions on the hazards on your premises (Section 8 (2) ArbSchG); this includes coordinating mutual hazards and often work permits. That is what the contractor safety briefing is for. The visitor information is aimed at guests who do not work on site, for example at meetings, audits or tours.
How long may I keep the visitor log?
The GDPR does not set a fixed period. Personal data may only be stored for as long as is necessary for the purpose (Art. 5 (1) (e) GDPR) – so set a short deletion period and stick to it. When recording visitors, inform them about the purpose, legal basis and storage period (Art. 13 GDPR) and make sure they cannot see other people's entries.
You may use and adapt the template freely in your own company and for your own clients. It reflects the regulations named as they stand.
Never search a spreadsheet for a deadline again
In AMS Go, what this template covers lives in one system with reminders, history and records at the push of a button – mobile and with AI support.
Related guides
More templates
- Safety instruction
Safety instruction record template (PDF) and instruction plan (Excel)
PDF + ExcelFree download - Safety instruction
Contractor safety briefing template (PDF) with attendance list
PDFFree download - Safety instruction
Forklift driver authorisation template (PDF) – written authorisation under DGUV Regulation 68
PDFFree download - Operating instructions
Operating instructions for machinery template (PDF) under Section 12 BetrSichV
PDFFree download
