A construction site QR code for the list of firms on site

In France, since 12 June 2023, the Labour Code has allowed builders to display the identity of the firms working on a site as a QR code. That rule is French and applies only to sites in France. The idea behind it works anywhere, though, because the list keeps moving: one trade starts, a subcontractor finishes, another arrives. A dynamic code follows those changes and nobody has to touch the sign fixed to the fence. This page sums up what the French text says and what it doesn't, then walks through the setup with Scanolo. If your site is in another country, look to the rules that apply there. Either way, this page is no substitute for advice from your trade body or your legal adviser.

The French example: what the text says, and what it leaves alone

This section concerns sites in France only. Article R. 8221-1 of the French Labour Code (Code du travail) requires a contractor working on a site that needs a building permit to display its name, its company name and its address on a board readable from the public road, for as long as the permit is on display. Decree no. 2023-452 of 9 June 2023 added to that article: these details « peuvent également être affichées de manière synthétique sous la forme d'un code bi-dimensionnel visible depuis la voie publique, gratuit pour toute personne appelée à le consulter et généré par un dispositif numérique sécurisé » (may also be displayed in summary form as a two-dimensional code visible from the public road, free of charge for anyone who needs to consult it and generated by a secure digital system).

The French text only covers the identity of the firms on site. The building permit sign, which falls under the French Town Planning Code (Code de l'urbanisme, article R. 424-15), stays a physical board with its own required details, and a QR code does not replace it. Other site notices aren't affected either. Outside France, none of this applies as such: check what your own country asks for before you put up a code.

Scanolo provides the code, the page that opens behind it and the hosting for both. It doesn't check what's in your list and can't tell you whether your signage satisfies your obligations. That judgement belongs to the company, with its usual advisers.

What the Scanolo code actually does

The French text sets conditions for the code itself. We won't tell you on your behalf that any tool fulfils them. We can, however, describe exactly how ours works, so you can judge on the evidence.

• The page opens over HTTPS in the phone's browser, with no app, no account and no payment for the person scanning.
• The printed code never changes. You replace the PDF whenever a firm arrives or leaves, and the sign stays where it is.
• The code keeps redirecting even if you cancel your subscription or go back to the Free plan, which matters on a site that drags on.
• Every destination is checked when it's created and regularly after that, and a link flagged as dangerous gets blocked.
• The scan counter shows, day by day and hour by hour, whether the code is really being read.
• The servers are in the European Union, and the IP address of the person scanning is not stored in clear.

Setting up the code, step by step

Start with the list. For each firm, include at least what the French text names: the name, the company name and the address. Some companies also add the trade package or a company registration number to make checks easier. That part is your call.

Put the list in a one-page PDF, in a single column so it reads well on a phone, with the site address at the top and the date of the last update. In Scanolo, create a PDF code and upload the file (5 MB maximum). Each time something changes, you upload the new version and the code already on the fence shows the updated list.

For size, take the reading distance and divide by ten. A code read from the pavement, 2 or 3 metres away, should be 20 to 30 cm per side. Print it on a rigid, weatherproof board at eye level, facing the public road, with a white margin all around.

• A line of text above the code, such as “Firms working on this site: scan here”.
• A test with two different phones, from the pavement, before the final installation.
• One code per sign. When the job ends, it can move to the next site with a new list.
• One folder per site manager or per branch, so the right code is quick to find.

Which plan for a construction company

The Free plan gives you three dynamic codes, enough to try it on one or two sites. Pages then carry the “Made with Scanolo” mention, and scan history covers 30 days.

The Starter plan, at €7 excl. VAT a month with no commitment, goes up to 25 codes, adds folders, removes the mention, keeps a year of statistics and lets you export the code as a vector PDF for whoever prints the sign. Past 25 open sites at once, or if several site managers need to run their own codes, the Pro plan at €19 excl. VAT gives you 250 codes and three members in the same workspace.

Frequently asked questions