There are several reasons you might want to apply for an accreditation, whether that’s a SSIP like CHAS Standard PAS 91 or CAS  assessment like Constructionline Gold or CHAS Elite assessment.

It can give you reassurance that your health and safety arrangements have been independently assessed by an experienced third-party auditor, rather than simply being a tick-box exercise.

Accreditation and assessments can also help your business stand out when tendering for larger projects, working with corporate clients or bidding for government contracts. They demonstrate that you take health and safety seriously, provide recognised evidence of your management arrangements and can help you avoid completing the same client safety questionnaires time and time again.

For some businesses, achieving PAS 91 or CAS can also open the door to larger contractors and supply chains where demonstrating robust health and safety, quality and business management arrangements is part of the tendering process.

No.

If you already have a valid SSIP accreditation that meets the deem-to-satisfy requirements, we deduct the SSIP element from the total price.

You therefore only pay for the additional accreditation requirements that need to be completed.

Choosing the right accreditation can be confusing, especially with different schemes and levels available.

Our first piece of advice? Ask the people you want to work for!

Before applying for an accreditation, speak to your existing clients, potential clients or the main contractors you want to work with and ask what accreditation they require. This can help you avoid paying for more than you actually need.

It depends on who you want to work with and what type of contracts you’re looking to win.

Construction contractors & subcontractors – CHAS, SMAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline can all be relevant, depending on individual client requirements.

Large main contractors – Constructionline can be particularly useful, especially Gold, where wider pre-qualification and the Common Assessment Standard are required.

Councils & public sector work – Requirements can vary, and you may be asked for Constructionline, CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS or another recognised SSIP scheme.

Commercial & facilities management – SafeContractor is widely used across a range of industries to demonstrate contractor competence.

Smaller contractors & trades – CHAS or SMAS can provide a straightforward route to recognised SSIP health & safety accreditation.

Not necessarily!

Ask your clients or the organisations you want to work with what level they require before you apply.

If you mainly need to demonstrate your health & safety competence, an SSIP accreditation may be enough. If you’re targeting larger contractors, major projects or certain public sector contracts, you may need a higher level of assessment.

This is a general guide, not a one-size-fits-all rule. Requirements can vary between clients, contractors and tenders.

Our advice? Ask first, then apply. Don’t pay for more accreditations or higher levels than you actually need.

Many accreditation support providers offer minimal involvement from you, fixed costs and/or a speedy turnaround. We do not believe anyone can guarantee these things or indeed get certification for you! We aim to be transparent simply offering experience, knowledge along with draft Policies, templates and other tools to support you progressing your Accreditation and maintaining focus.

Step 1. An initial consultation will ensure you understand the process, costs and requirements. If you are happy to proceed simply apply for your accreditation and forward log-in details to us.

Step 2. We will translate the ask carrying out a gap analysis and provide an action plan with document templates where possible to assist you. We will be on hand to advise you and answer general questions while you collate evidence.

Step 3. Once all evidence is together, forward it to us. We will check, upload and submit this on your behalf. If your assessor requests additional evidence we will repeat steps 2 and 3.  

This depends on what you have and how fast you can collate any additional required evidence. Typically first time applications are submitted for assessment within a few weeks. 

To learn more schedule a free discovery session with us to discuss your requirements and the process.