Documentation, Communication, and Professional Practice
This domain tests the paperwork and communication that protect the crew, the client, and you: daily logs, hazard assessments, incident reports, drawings and specifications, change orders, and clear direction on site. Expect questions on what gets recorded, how instructions are confirmed, and what professional conduct looks like.
Records you complete
- Daily log: date, weather, crew and hours, equipment on site, work performed, deliveries, visitors, delays, inspections, and incidents.
- Field level hazard assessments, toolbox talk sign-off sheets, equipment inspection records, and site inspection reports.
- Incident and near-miss reports: what happened, when, who was involved, witnesses, conditions, and immediate actions. Report near misses - they are free lessons.
- Record facts, not opinions, and record them the same day, while details are accurate.
Reading the contract documents
- Drawings show the title block, revision number, scale, and symbol legend; specifications are usually organized by division and govern quality and materials.
- Always work from the latest revision; superseded drawings are removed from the site set.
- If a dimension or detail conflicts, ask for clarification in writing before building.
Communication and professional practice
- Verbal instructions on site are confirmed with a site instruction, a field change, or an RFI so the direction is documented.
- Use clear radio protocol and agreed hand signals, and confirm the message back.
- Respect the chain of command; report problems to your supervisor rather than working around them.
- Professional conduct includes punctuality, safe work, respect for other trades, confidentiality of client information, and honesty in records.
Worked example
A site superintendent verbally tells the crew to move a foundation wall 200 mm to clear a service. The crew does not pour that day. The foreman issues an RFI describing the conflict between the drawing and the field condition and asks for confirmation. The answer comes back as a written site instruction with a sketch. The daily log records the conversation, the RFI, the instruction number, and the date the work was redirected. If a dispute arises later, the record shows exactly what was directed and when.
Traps that cost marks
- Building from a verbal instruction with no written confirmation.
- Writing the daily log days later from memory.
- Working from a superseded revision because it was still in the site trailer.
- Recording opinions rather than observable facts in an incident report.