Creating and Using QR Codes
A Salus QR code gives workers one-tap access to the things they need on site: forms, documents, check-in, equipment inspections, and more. Instead of digging through the app, a worker scans a code posted at a gate, on a piece of equipment, or in a trailer, and lands directly on the content you chose.
Use QR codes when you want to remove friction from a specific workflow, streamline onboarding for new or subcontractor workers, or control exactly which forms and documents a group of people can access.
Note: QR codes can't be scanned or used offline. Workers need Wi-Fi or cell service to use one, whether or not they have the Salus mobile app installed.
Site, Company, and Template QR Codes
The QR Codes screen has three tabs, and which one you use depends on what the code should be tied to:
- Sites – the code is tied to one specific site. Includes the full set of bundle options, including Check In and Asset.
- Company – the code isn't tied to any single site. A smaller set of bundle options is available, since Check In and Asset only make sense at the site level.
- Templates – not a QR code itself, but a saved configuration that automatically creates a new Site QR code whenever a matching site is added. Covered later in this article.
Bundle Options
Bundle options are the objects a worker can access after scanning. Click Add Item in the QR code builder to choose from the list below. You can add more than one item to a single QR code.
Form
Adds one or more published forms. The worker sees only the forms you've added, not their full form library.
Use it when: you want to control exactly which forms a group of workers or subcontractors can submit.
Document or Folder
Connects a specific document, or an entire folder, from your Documents section. Workers can view it, and sign it if a signature is required.
Use it when: sharing safety data sheets, safe work plans, or other reference material for a site.
URL Link
Links out to any web address, inside or outside Salus.
Use it when: sending workers to an orientation video, an online course, or another external resource.
Check In (Site QR codes only)
Lets a worker check in or out of the site with a single tap.
Use it when: you want an accurate, real-time headcount of who is on site.
Asset (Site QR codes only)
Opens the profile for a specific piece of equipment, with a shortcut to start an inspection form for it.
Use it when: printing a code to attach directly to a piece of equipment for quick inspection access.
Request Certificate Upload
Prompts the worker to upload a certificate to their Salus profile. If they already have certificates on file, it also shows how many.
Use it when: onboarding workers and getting their existing certificates into Salus quickly.
Once items are added, drag the handle beside an item to reorder it, or click the X to remove it from the bundle.
Access Control Options
Access Control decides who can use the QR code and what account, if any, they need. These checkboxes appear the same way on Site, Company, and Template QR codes.
Anonymous Access
Limits the Add Item list to forms marked as anonymous, and lets anyone submit those forms without creating or signing into a Salus account.
Use it when: you need fully confidential submissions, such as safety concern reporting.
Tip: Anonymous forms need to be set up as their own form template first. See Anonymous Forms for how to mark a form template as anonymous.
Join [Company Name]
Lets anyone who scans the code create a Salus account, or use an existing one, and join your company.
Use it when: onboarding new workers directly from a code posted on site, without inviting them individually.
Subcontractors Access
Lets workers from subcontractor companies already in the system, added through your subcontractor portal, scan and use the code.
Use it when: sharing forms, documents, or check-in access with subcontractor crews on a shared site.
Join Subcontractors
Only available once Subcontractors Access is checked. After scanning, the worker is prompted to select their subcontractor company from a dropdown of subcontractors already added to the site.
Use it when: subcontractor workers need to create or join their own company's profile, rather than yours, through this code.
Note: Subcontractors Access and Join Subcontractors are separate from Join [Company Name]. You can enable any combination: let workers join your company only, join a subcontractor only, join either one, or scan without joining anything at all.
Create a Site QR Code
- Click QR Codes in the left navigation.
- Click the Sites tab.
- Click Create QR Code.
- Enter a name in QR Code Name.
- Select the site this code belongs to from Select Site.
- Click Add Item and select the objects you want this code to give access to. Repeat to add more than one.
- Under Access Control, check any boxes that apply to how this code should be used.
- Click Create QR Code.
Create a Company QR Code
Company QR codes work the same way, with two differences: there's no site to select, and Check In and Asset aren't available as bundle options, since both depend on a specific site.
- Click QR Codes in the left navigation.
- Click the Company tab.
- Click Create QR Code.
- Enter a name in QR Code Name.
- Click Add Item and choose from Form, Document or Folder, URL Link, or Request Certificate Upload.
- Under Access Control, check any boxes that apply.
- Click Create QR Code.
Manage an Existing QR Code
Every QR code you create appears in a table on its tab, with an Actions column on the right.
- Click the copy icon next to the Link to copy the URL directly, useful for sharing by text or email instead of printing a code.
- Click the QR code icon to open the scannable code, ready to download or print.
- Click the pencil icon to edit the QR code. You can add or remove bundle items and change any Access Control setting.
- Click the duplicate icon to copy this QR code's entire configuration, bundle items and Access Control included, into a new QR code.
- Click the trash icon to delete the QR code.
Warning: Deleting a QR code is permanent. Any printed or posted copies of that code will stop working immediately.
QR Code Templates
A template automatically creates a new Site QR code whenever a new site is added, so you don't have to rebuild the same QR code every time you start a new project. Templates use the same bundle options and Access Control settings as a Site QR code.
- Click QR Codes in the left navigation.
- Click the Templates tab.
- Click Create QR Code Template.
- Enter a name in QR Code Template Name.
- Click Add Item and select the objects this template should include.
- Under Access Control, check any boxes that apply.
- Under Site Tags, decide whether this template should apply to every new site or only some. By default it applies to all new sites. Toggle on Limit to matching site tags to restrict it, then select the values it should match from the Site Tag category dropdowns that appear.
- Under Status, leave Active turned on so this template creates QR codes automatically. Turn it off to pause the template without deleting it.
- Click Create QR Code Template.
Tip: The Site Tag dropdowns only show categories your company has already set up. See Site Tags if you haven't created any yet.
Orientation QR Codes
Orientation QR codes live in their own module and work as a checklist for onboarding workers to a site, rather than a general-purpose bundle. They support an additional object, Request Orientation ID, that isn't available on a standard QR code, and the data they collect feeds directly into each worker's orientation status.
Note: If you're building a site orientation checklist, use the Orientations module rather than a standard QR code. See Orientations Overview.
What Happens Next
Once created, a QR code appears immediately in its tab's list and is ready to scan. A worker who scans it lands directly on the objects you added: a single Check In button, a short list of just the forms or documents you chose, and so on. They don't need the Salus mobile app, only Wi-Fi or cell service and, unless Anonymous Access is checked, a Salus account.
If Join [Company Name] or Join Subcontractors is checked, a first-time scanner without an existing account is prompted to create one and join the right company before they can access the bundle.
For templates, nothing happens until a new site is created that matches the template's criteria. At that point, Salus automatically builds a matching Site QR code for that site with no further action needed, and it appears in the Sites tab.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Salus account to use a QR code?
Yes, in most cases. Scanning a code opens your browser, so you don't need to install the app, but you'll need to sign in or create an account to view or submit forms. Anonymous forms are the exception and don't require an account at all.
Why don't I see a Create QR Code button?
QR code creation is limited to Full Access roles. Confirm your role in Company Settings, or ask your admin to update your permissions.
How do QR codes work for subcontractors?
If a subcontractor's worker scans your QR code, any form they submit belongs to your form library, not their own company's. This is expected behavior, not a bug. If a worker submits a form manually instead of scanning a code, they can choose from their own company's forms as well as any forms you've shared with them. If you want subcontractors restricted to only your forms, have them join and submit exclusively through your QR code.
What's different about Anonymous Forms in a QR code?
Anonymous forms can only be accessed by scanning a QR code or opening a public link, not from Submit Form in the app. Because there's no profile attached to an anonymous submission, fields like Site Tag, Current Date, or Job Code won't auto-populate, and anonymous submissions can't generate certificates. We recommend keeping a separate anonymous version of a form alongside your standard one. If you only need to share submitted forms rather than files from Documents, a Shared Link may be simpler.
Can one QR code work across multiple sites?
Not currently. Each Site QR code is tied to a single site, and a worker can't switch sites after scanning. If you operate across multiple sites, create a separate QR code for each one, or set up a Template to generate them automatically.
My QR code isn't working. What should I check first?
Confirm the worker has Wi-Fi or cell service, since QR codes can't be used offline. Confirm the form or document the code links to hasn't been unpublished or removed. Confirm the worker is signed into the right account if they use Salus with more than one company. If the issue continues, contact Salus Support with the QR code, or a screenshot, and a description of what's happening.