SafetyHQ® System Configuration Guide

Client Setup & Admin Preferences

1. Before You Start

Who this is for

• Platform Admins or Safety/IT leads with access to SafetyHQ’s setup tools.
• Anyone responsible for organizing forms, lessons, and notifications for the company.

What you’ll need

• Your SafetyHQ login at: https://safety.myhqsuite.com
• Platform Admin permissions (you will not see some menus without this level of access).

2. Logging In & Finding the Setup Menu

Logging in

1. Go to https://safety.myhqsuite.com in your browser.
2. Sign in with your email and password.
3. You will usually land on the Inbox. If you have no pending items, you may see a message like “Nice, you have no unread notifications.”

Finding the left-hand menu

• On desktop or laptop: the left-hand navigation menu is visible by default.
• On phones and tablets: tap the hamburger menu (three stacked lines) at the lower-left corner to slide the main menu in from the left.

Opening Setup and Client Setup

1. Scroll down the left-hand menu until you see Setup (gear icon).
2. Click or tap Setup.
3. Under Setup, click or tap Client Setup (second gear icon). You must be a Platform Admin to see this.

Everything in this guide takes place under:

Setup → Client Setup

3. Client Setup Overview

Under Client Setup you will see menu items such as:

• Module Access
• Admin Preferences
• Drop-down Values Manager
• Integration Settings
• Notifications
• Permissions
• Draft Settings
• Offline Mode
• Preferences (language and location)

The next sections walk through each area at a high level, focusing on what a safety director actually needs to configure.

4. Module Access

Path: Setup → Client Setup → Module Access

What Module Access does

• Shows which SafetyHQ modules are turned on for your company, such as:
  • Toolbox Talks
  • Lessons
  • Incident Reports
  • Forms
  • Corrective Actions

Typical use

• Confirm that the modules you expect to use are available.
• If you are missing a module you believe you should have, that is usually a licensing or subscription issue. Contact your HQSuite representative or support to adjust it. You do not normally “turn on” modules yourself from this screen.

5. Admin Preferences – Form Grouping & Branding

Path: Setup → Client Setup → Admin Preferences

5.1 Form Group Headers (organizing forms)

What form groups do

• Form groups let you organize forms into sections that field users see as headers, such as “Job Site” or “Equipment.”
• If a form is not assigned to any group, it will appear under an “Uncategorized” group.

What you will see

A table showing columns such as:

• Group Header
• Group Order
• Spanish Header
• Actions (edit / delete)

How to add a new form group

1. Click Add New Group.
2. Enter the Group Header name (for example, “Job Site”).
3. Enter a Group Order number (1, 2, 3, etc.) to control sorting.
4. Optionally enter a Spanish Header for bilingual users.
5. Click Save.

Example group structure

You might start with something like:

• Job Site – daily inspections, hazard assessments, and site checklists.
• Equipment – equipment inspections and maintenance-related forms.
• Administration – office-only forms, safety program documents, and sign-offs.

Some companies also create more directive groups, such as “Foremen – Fill These Out Daily,” and then place all required daily forms for foremen under that group. You can keep it simple at first and refine these groups as your form library grows.

5.2 Client Logo and Colors

Logo

• Upload your company logo so it appears inside SafetyHQ and on generated PDFs.
• Banner-style logos tend to work best, but circular or square logos can also be used.

Colors

• Configure your primary brand colors used in on-screen views and exported/printed PDFs.
• You may need a little trial and error to get the right contrast for both screens and printed pages.

6. Drop-down Values Manager

Path: Setup → Client Setup → Drop-down Values Manager

What this section does

• Controls the lists used by dropdown fields throughout SafetyHQ.
• Helps you standardize entries for lessons, documents, equipment, and more.

Common tabs you might see

• Lesson Categories
• Lesson Providers
• Lesson Training Types
• Lesson Tags
• Document Tags
• Equipment Tags
• Manufacturers
• Deficiency Types
• Project Types
• Toolbox Talk Categories

You do not need to complete every list on day one. Start with the ones you know you will use immediately and build from there.

6.1 Lesson Categories

Purpose

• Describe the high-level type of lesson you are offering.

Examples

• In-House
• OSHA / Regulatory
• Vendor-Provided
• Orientation
• Equipment-Specific

How to add a lesson category

1. Select the Lesson Categories tab.
2. Click Add New.
3. Type the category name (for example, “In-House”).
4. Click Save.

SafetyHQ may suggest a Spanish version of the category name. You can adjust or correct this as needed.

6.2 Lesson Providers

Purpose

• Identify the source of your training content.

Examples

• Internal training department
• Third-party providers
• “Custom / Personalized” for in-house content

How to add a lesson provider

1. Go to the Lesson Providers tab.
2. Click Add New.
3. Enter the provider name (for example, “Custom / Personalized” or the name of an external vendor).
4. Click Save.

6.3 Lesson Training Types

Purpose

• Describe what the training is about in specific terms.

Examples

• Forklift
• Aerial Lift
• Fall Protection
• Confined Space
• Lockout / Tagout

How to add a training type

1. Go to the Lesson Training Types tab.
2. Click Add New.
3. Enter a specific training type (for example, “Forklift”).
4. Click Save.

6.4 Tags and Other Dropdowns

Lesson Tags and Document Tags

• Optional labels that help with searching and reporting once your library grows.
• You can start without using tags and add them later as you see a need for better filtering.

Equipment Tags

• Often used to label smaller pieces of equipment rather than large vehicles.
• Helps you group or filter equipment-related items.

Manufacturers

• Use this list to define equipment or product manufacturers relevant to your work.

Deficiency Types

• Used with Corrective Actions to describe the kind of issue found (for example, Missing Guardrail, Damaged Cord, Leaking Hydraulic Line).

Project Types

• Optional way to categorize jobs (for example: New Construction, Renovation, Service).

Toolbox Talk Categories

• Group Toolbox Talks by topic, such as PPE, Fall Protection, Electrical Safety, or Housekeeping.

You can refine and expand all of these lists over time. They do not have to be perfect from day one.

7. Integration Settings

Path: Setup → Client Setup → Integration Settings

Purpose

• Shows whether your SafetyHQ site is integrated with FOUNDATION accounting software or other supported systems.
• Some settings here may be managed in coordination with your accounting or IT teams.

Important note

• Do not change integration settings unless you understand the impact or are working with HQSuite / FIRST support.
• FOUNDATION integration typically has its own detailed setup and training.

8. Notifications

Path: Setup → Client Setup → Notifications

What this section controls

• Who gets notified about which activities in SafetyHQ.
• You will see switches for various modules, such as:
  • Toolbox Talks
  • Corrective Actions
  • Lessons
  • Incident Reports
  • Forms

Typical setup approach

• Turn ON notifications for things like:
  • New incident reports submitted.
  • Corrective actions created, assigned, or overdue.
  • Completed Toolbox Talks, if you want supervisors or safety staff to be informed.
• Turn OFF notifications that create noise and do not help anyone take action.

Think of this screen as your alert control panel. Use it to keep the right people informed without burying them in emails.

9. Permissions (High-Level Overview)

Path: Setup → Client Setup → Permissions

Purpose

• Define which users and groups can view, edit, approve, or manage different parts of SafetyHQ.

What you will see

• Default permission groups created for you.
• The ability to create or customize additional permission groups.

Because permissions are a critical part of system security and workflow, they are usually covered in a separate, dedicated training or support document. Use that resource to build out roles like Foreman, Safety Director, Project Manager, and so on.

10. Draft Settings

Path: Setup → Client Setup → Draft Settings

What this section shows

• A list of incomplete items that users have started but not finished, such as partially completed forms or reports.

What you can do here

• Review existing drafts.
• Clear drafts in bulk if they have accumulated and are clearly not needed.

Notes

• Leaving drafts alone does not harm anything.
• Clearing them can help tidy up the system if users have many stale drafts they will never complete.

11. Offline Mode

Path: Setup → Client Setup → Offline Mode

Purpose

• Control how SafetyHQ behaves for users working with poor or no internet connection.

Because offline behavior affects syncing, device storage, and jobsite workflows, Offline Mode is usually explained in its own support document or training session. That resource will cover how to enable offline use, how data syncs after reconnecting, and best practices for field crews in low-signal areas.

12. Preferences (Language and Location)

Path: Setup → Client Setup → Preferences

Options in this section

Language

• Choose the interface language for SafetyHQ, typically English or Spanish.
• This affects how the site displays text for that user.

Location Allowed

• Controls whether your browser or device can share its location with SafetyHQ.
• If allowed (similar to Google Maps requesting permission), SafetyHQ can use location for features that support it.
• If blocked, you may see prompts requesting location access when a feature needs it.

13. Summary – Putting It All Together

All of the areas described in this guide are found under:

Setup → Client Setup

From here you can:

• Confirm which modules are active (Module Access).
• Organize forms into clear sections for field users (Admin Preferences → Form Groups).
• Apply your logo and brand colors (Admin Preferences → Logo and Colors).
• Build clean, standardized dropdown lists for lessons, equipment, documents, and more (Drop-down Values Manager).
• Maintain or review accounting integrations like FOUNDATION (Integration Settings).
• Control who gets notified about which activities (Notifications).
• Define who can see and do what in the system (Permissions).
• Clean up clutter from incomplete drafts (Draft Settings).
• Manage how SafetyHQ behaves when users are offline (Offline Mode).
• Set language and device location preferences (Preferences).

With these pieces in place, your SafetyHQ site will be structured, branded, and ready for use by the field and the office.