Daily Log Checklist

Superintendent runs the toolbox talk before any tools come out of the gang box. Pick a topic relevant to today's work — fall protection if decking, silica controls if cutting concrete, hot work if welding. Capture attendance on the sign-in sheet; certified payroll and OSHA investigators will both ask for it.

Each trade foreman submits a PTP / AHA covering today's scope, hazards, and controls. Reject vague PTPs ("be careful with saw"); push for specific controls — wet methods on Table 1 silica tasks, 5,000 lb anchor for tie-off, fire watch for hot work.

Confirm hot work permits, confined-space entry permits, energized-work permits, and 811 dig tickets are open and current. Locate marks honored before any excavation. Permits posted at the work area, not in the trailer.

Record temperature, precipitation, wind, and ground conditions at start of shift. Weather is the most-cited evidence in delay claims; a complete record across the project is what makes a claim defensible.

Check open holes, unguarded leading edges, scaffold tags (green/yellow/red), housekeeping, fire extinguisher locations, eye-wash stations, and SWPPP BMPs (silt fence, inlet protection, stabilized construction entrance). Photograph anything corrected during the walk.

Verify daily inspection logs are current for cranes, aerial lifts, forklifts, and excavators. Confirm operator certifications (NCCCO for crane, OSHA-compliant aerial-lift cards). Tag-out anything red-tagged so it can't be put back in service by mistake.

Reconcile today's deliveries against the procurement schedule and approved submittals — order what was approved, not what was originally submitted. Sign delivery tickets only after count and damage check; partial or damaged loads get noted on the ticket before signing.

Total bodies on site by sub and trade — concrete, steel, MEP, drywall, finishes. This is the manpower number that supports productivity calculations and any future loss-of-productivity claim, so the count needs to match what's actually on the deck.

Spot-check site-access badges against OSHA 10 (workers) and OSHA 30 (supervisors) currency — required within the last 5 years on most federal projects. Welders, riggers, signal persons, and confined-space attendants need their specific cards on person.

Flag any sub showing up short of the manning the three-week look-ahead requires. Persistent under-manning is a default trigger and should be raised in the weekly subs meeting before it becomes a recovery-schedule issue.

Describe scope completed today by floor, gridline, or area — "Level 3 east, gridlines C–F: rebar tied and inspected, slab pour scheduled tomorrow." Generic entries ("framing continued") have no value as evidence.

Photo every active work area at least once. Use Procore Daily Log, PlanGrid, or Raken so photos auto-tag to drawing locations. Photos drive closeout as-builts and resolve disputes faster than any written description.

Compare today's progress against the P6 baseline and the three-week look-ahead. Flag any near-critical activity that slipped — total float erosion is a leading indicator the next schedule update will go negative.

Capture any incident, near-miss, first-aid event, or property damage. Note whether OSHA recordable criteria are met (lost time, restricted duty, medical beyond first aid) so the OSHA 300 log entry can be made within 7 calendar days.

Complete the incident report: who, where, mechanism, witnesses, body part, treatment. Notify the Safety Director and the home office same shift. Recordables drive EMR, which drives bid eligibility next year — the reporting discipline is operationally consequential, not just paperwork.

Rock in excavation, unmarked utilities, contaminated soil, hidden conditions in renovation — note today, photograph today, and trigger the contract's notice provision. Differing-site-condition windows are short (often 3–7 days); silent acceptance kills the claim.

Pull the RFI log. Any RFI past day 5 with no response gets a follow-up to the designer; past day 7 escalates to the PIC and the OAC. Don't let the field install on assumption — that's the scenario where the response comes back contradicting the install and rework lands in your column.

Compare the day's entries in Procore / Raken / ACC against the super's field notebook before submitting. Missing manpower, missing weather, generic work descriptions — fix before signing. Once submitted, edits leave an audit trail that opposing counsel will find.

Superintendent signs and submits before leaving site. The daily log is evidentiary — a missing day weakens delay, weather, and differing-site-condition claims six months from now when nobody remembers what happened.

Auto-distribute to the PM, PX, owner's rep, and architect per the project communication plan. Same-day distribution is part of why the log has evidentiary weight — it shows the record was contemporaneous, not reconstructed.