Shift Handovers & Shift Change

Many serious incidents happen right after a shift change. The person who knew a valve was open, a lockout was on, or a machine was acting up goes home, and the next person starts work without knowing. Good handovers pass on exactly what the next shift needs to stay safe.

• Plant Operators
• Maintenance Crews
• Supervisors
• Nurses & Security
• Warehouse Teams

Why handovers matter

• Workers coming on shift can't see what happened earlier. Unfinished work, bypassed safety systems, open permits, locked-out equipment and changed conditions are invisible.
• Accident investigations often find that missing or unclear handover information was a cause, including in major process industry disasters.
• Shift change is also a busy time of crowded walkways, parking lots and vehicles, with tired workers leaving and fresh ones arriving.
• Fatigue builds at the end of long shifts, so the outgoing worker is least able to remember details. Writing things down helps.

What to hand over

• Work in progress: what was done, what is left and what is the next step.
• Open permits: hot work, confined space, line breaking and other permits, with the status, location, and who holds them. See Permit to Work.
• Lockout/tagout in place: which equipment is locked out, whose locks are on, and why. See Group Lockout and Minor Servicing.
• Abnormal conditions: leaks, alarms, unusual noises, bypassed interlocks, damaged guards, out-of-service equipment.
• Hazards on site: spills, wet floors, closed aisles, contractors working, crane or hoisting activity, and changed traffic routes.
• Safety incidents and near misses from the shift, including first aid.
• Equipment status: what's down for repair, what's been tagged, and what must not be started.
• Upcoming tasks and deliveries, such as tests, shutdowns and shipments, and who needs to know.
• People: who is on site, who is new, anyone who is sick or injured and any visitors or contractors.

How to do a good handover

1. Overlap shifts where possible by 15 to 30 minutes so the people can talk, and have both people present for key items.
2. Walk the area and show, don't just tell. Point to the valve, the guard, the tag.
3. Use a written handover log or form with the same headings every time, and sign it. Write it in plain words, no shorthand that others won't understand.
4. Use read-back: the incoming person repeats the key points, such as locked-out equipment and open permits, to confirm they understood.
5. Highlight the most important items first (what could hurt someone today), not a long list in no particular order.
6. Ask questions and don't be afraid to say “I don't understand.” Don't start work until you do.
7. Don't leave a job half-done unless it's safe to do so and documented, and don't leave machines in an unsafe state.
8. Include contractors and part-time crews in the handover, not just employees.

When people can't meet

• Use a written log, a recorded message or an electronic system, and have supervisors review it.
• Follow up with a phone call for urgent hazards, and don't rely on notes alone for locked-out equipment or open permits.
• Post key hazards at the equipment itself, with tags and signs, since notes can be missed.
• For remote or one-person shifts, set up regular check-ins and an emergency contact. See Lone Working.

Fatigue and the commute

• Tired workers make more mistakes and are at risk driving home. See Drowsy Driving and Driver Fatigue.
• Keep parking lots and walkways well-lit and organized, and separate pedestrians from vehicles at shift change. See Warehouse Safety.
• Don't let overtime stack up so far that workers are handing over when exhausted.

Shift handover checklist

• Work in progress and next steps are written down
• Open permits and locked-out equipment are listed with owners
• Abnormal conditions, bypasses and damaged equipment are flagged
• We walked the area together and the incoming person read back the key items
• Both people signed the log, and contractors were included

Last updated: October 5, 2026