The construction industry has historically been plagued by workplace accidents and injuries. This led to the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974, which aimed to reduce these incidents by enabling enforcement actions against employers who didn’t implement appropriate safety measures.
The Construction Design and Management Regulations were followed in 2007, setting specific requirements for the construction industry. From these regulations, a standard set of questions was developed, eventually evolving into the PAS 91 Prequalification Questionnaire.
Meanwhile, various assessment schemes like CHAS, Constructionline, Exor, and Safecontractor emerged.
The problem? Construction companies were jumping through the same hoops multiple times for different clients requiring different certifications, all based on the same core criteria! This duplication was costly and time-consuming.
That’s when the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stepped in and worked with these schemes to form the SSIP Forum in 2009. Its purpose was to act as an umbrella organization facilitating mutual recognition between member schemes, significantly reducing the time and cost burden of health and safety pre-qualification for both suppliers and buyers.
How SSIP Works
I know some people think SSIP accreditation is only relevant for large contractors. This simply isn’t true.
While larger contractors may have been the early adopters, businesses of all sizes can benefit from SSIP certification.
Whether you’re a one-person consultancy or a large contractor, SSIP can help you stand out, win more work, and prove you’re serious about safety.
Another thing is that you have to renew it annually to keep your certification valid and maintain your listing on the SSIP portal.
SSIP schemes like CHAS, Constructionline, and SafeContractor assess your health and safety management against the same core criteria, based on the CDM 2015 regulations and PAS 91 standards.
They check things like your health and safety policy, how you handle risk assessments, employee training, accident reporting systems, and site safety plans etc.
Once you pass with one SSIP member, you can use that certificate with other members without going through another full assessment.
The benefits of SSIP certification
SSIP certification is a business growth tool as it helps opens doors to new opportunities and contracts.
For many public sector contracts and work with larger organizations, SSIP certification isn’t optional; it’s a minimum requirement even to be considered. Without it, your business simply won’t make it past the first stage of procurement.
By being listed on the SSIP portal, your business becomes more discoverable to potential clients looking for contractors who are already certified and ready to work safely.
Remember the problem of duplicate assessments? SSIP solves this through its “deem to satisfy” principle.
Once you’re certified by one SSIP member, you can use that certification across other SSIP members without duplicating the entire assessment.
Also, the SSIP logo on your website, vehicles, and marketing materials demonstrates that your business takes health and safety seriously and has been independently verified.
This enhanced credibility can set you apart from competitors and reassures main contractors and clients that you’re safe to work with.
Additionally, it help reduces workplace risk and fewer incidents. The process of becoming SSIP certified requires you to review and strengthen your health and safety management systems.
As a result, you’ve identified risks and implemented controls to keep your workers safe. Fewer accidents mean less downtime, lower insurance premiums, and a stronger reputation for being a safe, reliable contractor.
Which businesses can benefit from SSIP?
A common misconception is that SSIP is only for businesses directly involved in on-site construction activities.
SSIP certification benefits businesses across a wide spectrum of the construction supply chain, including construction management organizations and property developers, trade service providers, equipment providers (plant machinery), and more.
If you’re anywhere in the construction supply chain, SSIP certification likely applies to you regardless of your size.
THS can help you get certified with CHAS, Safecontractor or Constructionline
Did you know that CHAS (one of the SSIP member schemes) has reported that only around 20% of small and medium-sized businesses achieve certification on their first try?
Before applying, you need to have identified your competent person for health and safety advice and compiled comprehensive health and safety records. Your health and safety policy has to be comprehensive and up-to-date, with clear evidence of staff training and competence.
You also have to demonstrate your commitment to health and safety management and choose which SSIP scheme aligns with your budget and goals, be it CHAS, Safecontractor, Constructionline, etc.
Many businesses struggle with this process initially, which is why I created my SSIP application support service. I’ll help you gather the right documents, prepare for the assessment, and make sure you’re fully compliant.
I’ll help you determine which scheme best suits your goals and guide you through the next steps.
Need help with your SSIP, CHAS, or SafeContractor application? Drop me a line at info@traininhealthandsafety.com or call +44 (0)20 8059 3633.