CHAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline: Which Accreditation Does Your Business Need?

Why Accreditation Matters

Many clients, particularly in construction and the public sector, will only work with contractors who hold a recognised health and safety accreditation. These schemes give clients confidence that you manage health and safety to a defined standard, and they can be the difference between winning and losing work. Understanding the main schemes helps you choose the one that fits your business.

What Is SSIP?

Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) is an umbrella body that brings together the main accreditation schemes. Because SSIP members mutually recognise each other's assessments, holding one SSIP-registered accreditation can reduce the need to be assessed repeatedly by different schemes. This mutual recognition can save you time and money if your clients accept it.

CHAS

The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS) is one of the longest established and most widely recognised accreditations. It assesses your health and safety policies, procedures, and arrangements against a defined standard. CHAS offers different membership levels, including options that cover wider areas such as environmental management and quality.

SafeContractor

SafeContractor is another popular SSIP-accredited scheme, well known across a broad range of industries. It assesses your health and safety management arrangements and provides a recognised certificate that many clients accept. It also offers additional member benefits and resources.

Constructionline

Constructionline is a procurement and supplier management service widely used in construction. As well as health and safety, it can cover financial standing, insurance, and other pre-qualification information that clients commonly ask for. Higher membership tiers include an SSIP-equivalent health and safety assessment.

How to Choose

The right scheme depends on your clients. Before paying for any accreditation, ask the clients and frameworks you want to work with which schemes they recognise. There is little point holding an accreditation your target clients do not accept. Consider the cost, the level of assessment, and whether you need the wider pre-qualification information that some schemes provide.

• Ask your key clients which accreditations they require
• Check whether they accept SSIP mutual recognition
• Weigh the cost against the contracts it could unlock
• Make sure your underlying systems genuinely meet the standard

Getting Through the Assessment

Accreditation is not just a form-filling exercise. Assessors expect to see real policies, risk assessments, training records, and arrangements that reflect how you actually work. If your underlying health and safety management is sound, accreditation becomes much more straightforward.

How We Can Help

We make accreditation simple. Our accreditation support service prepares your documentation, fills any gaps in your systems, and guides you through the assessment for CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline, and other schemes. Contact us to find out how we can help you win more work.