Also called: health and safety accreditation, contractor accreditation, SSIP accreditation, safety accreditation, contractor pre-qualification, health and safety pre-qualification, PQQ, Common Assessment Standard, accreditation support

Health and safety accreditation: SSIP, costs and getting help to pass

Health and safety accreditation shows clients and main contractors that your firm manages health and safety properly, usually through a scheme that belongs to SSIP. Published fees run from about £95 to £450 a year for a standard assessment, renewed annually, and a health and safety consultant can get your policy, risk assessments and records ready to pass.

Standard assessment
about £95–£450 a year
Including the Common Assessment Standard
from about £950 a year
Renewal
every year
One assessment
recognised across SSIP member schemes
Checking a firm's status
free on the SSIP Portal
Site under constructionRAMS, plans, inspections 6 ft
A consultant with a clipboard checking a contractor's site, beside a six foot figure for scale. Illustrative.

Health and safety accreditation suppliers

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Health and safety accreditation is an independent assessment that shows clients and main contractors your firm manages health and safety properly. For most contractors it means passing an assessment with a scheme that belongs to SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement), renewed every year. Published fees run from about £95 to £450 a year for a standard assessment, and many firms use a health and safety consultant to get their paperwork ready and pass first time.

What health and safety accreditation is

Clients and main contractors have to check that the firms they hire are competent to work safely. Rather than sending every supplier their own health and safety questionnaire, most accept a certificate from an accreditation scheme. SSIP is the umbrella body for these health and safety pre-qualification schemes. It doesn't assess firms itself: its member schemes do, against a shared set of core criteria.

  • One assessment, recognised by others. Under SSIP's Deem to Satisfy agreement, a certificate from one member scheme is recognised by the others, so you can ask a client's preferred scheme to accept the one you already hold.
  • Free to check. Clients can confirm a firm's status on the SSIP Portal at no cost.
  • Widely held. SSIP reports more than 90,000 suppliers registered with a member scheme.

Which accreditation do you need?

Most subcontractors and small firms

SSIP health and safety assessment

The standard pre-qualification most clients and main contractors ask for. It covers health and safety only.

Renewed every year.

Main contractor supply chains and public works

Common Assessment Standard

Created by Build UK to standardise pre-qualification across construction. It goes beyond health and safety to areas such as corporate social responsibility and information security.

Usually a higher-priced assessment level.

Larger firms and major clients

ISO 45001 certification

The international standard for occupational health and safety management systems, certified by an accredited certification body through on-site audits.

A bigger commitment than a pre-qualification assessment.

Ask the client or main contractor which accreditation they accept before you apply. For public sector works above £5.37 million, Cabinet Office guidance PPN 03/24 advises contracting authorities to use the Common Assessment Standard question set or an equivalent, alongside recognising SSIP for health and safety. PAS 91, the older construction pre-qualification standard, was withdrawn by BSI in April 2023, although some buyers still use its questions.

What assessors ask to see

Assessors want evidence that your arrangements are in place and actually used on site, not just written down.

  • Health and safety policy, signed, dated and reviewed within the last year, naming who is responsible at senior level.
  • Risk assessments and method statements for the work you do, signed by the workers who use them.
  • COSHH assessments and safety data sheets for the substances you use.
  • Training records, including course certificates, inductions and toolbox talk registers.
  • Work equipment records, such as inspection, maintenance and portable appliance testing.
  • Accident records, with investigations and the action you took.
  • Your competent person: who gives you health and safety advice and what experience they have.
  • Monitoring and consultation, such as site inspections, audits and safety meetings from the past 12 months.
Out-of-date paperwork is the usual reason for failing

Assessors commonly send back documents that are more than 12 months old, unsigned or clearly generic templates. If you fail, the assessor explains what's missing so you can fix it and resubmit, but each round adds delay when you may have a contract waiting.

What health and safety accreditation costs

Scheme fees depend on the scheme, the level of assessment and the size of your firm. These ranges come from schemes' published prices and usually exclude VAT.

£95–£450a year for a standard health and safety assessment
£950+a year for levels that include the Common Assessment Standard
Freefor clients to check a firm on the SSIP Portal

Firms with fewer than five people usually complete a shorter application and pay the lowest fees. A consultant's fee for preparing your documents is on top, and is usually quoted as a fixed price or included in a retained health and safety service.

How a health and safety consultant helps you get accredited

  1. Gap reviewChecks your current policy, risk assessments and records against what the scheme asks for.
  2. Documents written or updatedPrepares a signed policy, site-specific risk assessments and method statements, COSHH assessments and registers.
  3. Application supportHelps complete the online application and upload the right evidence the first time.
  4. Competent personCan be named as your source of competent health and safety advice, which assessors ask about.
  5. Annual renewalKeeps records up to date through the year so each renewal is straightforward.

See what consultants do and charge more generally in our guide to health and safety consultants. If you control premises, you may also need a fire risk assessment.

Questions to ask before you choose a consultant

  • How many firms have you helped pass health and safety accreditation, and with which assessment levels?
  • Will the documents be written for our work and sites, or adapted templates?
  • Is the application support included, and what happens if the assessor asks for more evidence?
  • Do you offer a retained service to keep us ready for annual renewal?
  • Are you CMIOSH or on OSHCR, and what professional indemnity insurance do you carry?
  • Does the price include VAT and any site visits?

Prices in this guide are typical ranges from suppliers' published price lists and cost guides. They change and vary by area, so always confirm the price with the supplier before you book. Rules, fees and tax rates are checked against official sources.

Health and safety accreditation questions

What is health and safety accreditation?

Health and safety accreditation is an independent assessment showing that a firm manages health and safety properly. For most contractors it means passing an assessment with a scheme that belongs to SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement), which clients and main contractors accept as evidence of health and safety competence. It is usually renewed every year.

What is SSIP accreditation?

SSIP is the umbrella body for health and safety pre-qualification schemes. Its member schemes assess firms against shared core criteria, and under the Deem to Satisfy agreement a certificate from one member scheme is recognised by the others. Clients can check a firm's status free on the SSIP Portal.

How much does health and safety accreditation cost?

Published fees run from about £95 to £450 a year for a standard health and safety assessment, depending on the scheme and the size of the firm. Assessment levels that include the Common Assessment Standard start at about £950 a year. VAT is usually extra, and a consultant's fee for preparing documents is on top.

What documents do I need for health and safety accreditation?

Assessors usually ask for a signed health and safety policy reviewed within the last year, risk assessments and method statements, COSHH assessments, training records, work equipment inspection records, accident records and details of who provides your competent health and safety advice. They want evidence that these are in use, not just written down.

What is the Common Assessment Standard?

The Common Assessment Standard was created by Build UK to standardise pre-qualification in construction. It covers health and safety and goes further, into areas such as corporate social responsibility and information security. Main contractors and public sector clients increasingly ask for it, and Cabinet Office guidance PPN 03/24 advises its question set, or an equivalent, for larger public works.

Can a consultant help me get health and safety accreditation?

Yes. A health and safety consultant can review your current paperwork against the scheme's requirements, write or update your policy, risk assessments and method statements, help with the online application and act as your competent person. Many also offer a retained service to keep you ready for annual renewal.

How long does health and safety accreditation last?

Most health and safety pre-qualification assessments are renewed every year. Assessors commonly reject documents that are more than 12 months old, so keeping your policy, risk assessments and records up to date through the year makes renewal much easier.