Worksafe (SSIP certification)
Join the UK’s SSIP certification Scheme of choice and attain a Health & Safety certificate recognised by thousands of organisations
Smas Worksafe helps contractors demonstrate their Health & Safety compliance to clients and meet the pre-qualification requirements of construction and related industries.
We’ve enabled thousands of contractors to show their commitment to workplace safety, secure work with trusted organisations through our Worksafe SSIP certification, and lead the way in workplace safety regulation and compliance – no matter the size of their business!
Smas Worksafe is one of many SSIP member schemes, and we’re experts in workplace safety management. We pride ourselves on our unrivalled in-house support and speedy turnaround times.
SSIP certification shows your commitment to Health & Safety standards, offering clients and employees assurance that your business offers a safe working environment for everyone around you.
Interested? Read on to find out more about gaining SSIP certification, then fill out our contact form to receive a simple, no-obligation quote!
Speak to a Member of the Team
Get in touch to find out how Smas Worksafe can help your business gain SSIP certification
What is SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) certification?
SSIP is an approved umbrella scheme recognised by the Health & Safety Executive. Governed by a single SSIP body, it gives licensed bodies like Smas Worksafe, CHAS, and SafeContractor the ability to certify applicants through a standardised assessment, based on the 14 SSIP Core Criteria.
So, how does Smas Worksafe help your business?
Our Worksafe SSIP certification has allowed thousands of contractors and safety advisors to quickly and simply demonstrate their commitment to workplace safety!
Partnering with an approved SSIP certification body like Smas means you’ll be working with experts. And, even better, since the SSIP governing body works based on a system of mutual recognition, any SSIP provider will recognise your certificate! This means you won’t have to keep paying for multiple assessment fees!
Why was SSIP certification introduced?
The SSIP certification is recognised across the UK and was introduced to save contractors time when tendering for work with clients and create a standardised level of Health & Safety compliance. Rather than completing several Health & Safety assessments for different clients, SSIP streamlined the tendering process by enabling all contractors and buyers to follow a closely related framework, reducing costs for contractors by removing the need for multiple application costs.
Why does my business need SSIP certification?
Although not a legal requirement, there are more and more projects where SSIP is becoming a highly desirable – or even a mandated – factor before you can even tender. And one of those areas is the public sector.
It makes sense: companies in the construction industry, education, and social care sectors want to make sure that any work carried out for them is done so as safely as possible. They do that by working with businesses that have the recognised Health & Safety certification , like SSIP!
Companies will usually request an SSIP certificate from any subcontractors that they work with. And gaining SSIP certification with Smas Worksafe means you get access to a greater pool of work via the Smas Portal, so you can grow your business to even greater heights.
Why is SSIP certification important?
A lot of buyers working in construction, education, and social care require SSIP certification to make sure all of their contractors and subcontractors are working to the same high standards of Health & Safety compliance.
With SSIP, you can stand out from the competition and tender for bigger and better opportunities. It also gives you the confidence and knowledge that you’ve got all your documents and safety protocols in place, so, if anything goes wrong, you know just what to do to make things right. This highlights your professional dedication to Health & Safety management.
Why choose Smas Worksafe for your SSIP certification?
We’re one of the leading SSIP schemes in the UK – our SSIP Scheme has been Accredited by UKAS to ISO 17020 – providing the highest level of assurance. With over 35,000 contractors signed up and registered on our Smas Portal, we provide ongoing support for all members with their Health & Safety compliance and policies, courtesy of our Smas Worksafe SSIP certification package.
You can expect benefits like:
- SSIP certification in just 1-7 days – some of the fastest times around!
- Direct contact with an expert team of in-house assessors
- Apply online and save up to 40% of the work when you renew
- Become visible to thousands of the biggest construction and housebuilders in the UK
- National recognition of your Smas Worksafe SSIP certificate
- Quickly and easily demonstrate your Health & Safety competence to clients
There’s a reason why 95% of our members return every year!
In addition to SSIP certification, we also offer Worksafe Plus (formerly Smas Worksafe PQQ). This package is for businesses or individuals looking to demonstrate compliance beyond Health & Safety, by bringing together SSIP with the Smas Standard – based on PAS 91. Worksafe Plus allows you to show off areas of further compliance, such as environmental and quality management, and gain an even more competitive advantage!
What are the costs of SSIP certification?
The prices will vary depending on the size of your business and how many employees you have. Our Worksafe SSIP certificates start from £317.
See how much it would cost your business with a free quote.
Our SSIP certification Packages
We offer a flexible range of SSIP certification packages to help you demonstrate your commitment to Health & Safety standards. Partner with Smas Worksafe and benefit from the following:
- Worksafe (SSIP)
- Worksafe Plus (SSIP + Environmental and Quality Management)
- Deem to Satisfy (DTS)
We also offer Worksafe Pro, our Common Assessment Standard (CAS) certification. This is the top-tier of Health & Safety certification, mandated for public sector contracts and projects worth more than £5.337 million.
Worksafe (SSIP certification)
Our Worksafe SSIP certification can be used to show potential or existing clients that your business meets the requirements for Health & Safety. Our SSIP assessment follows the 14 Core Criteria points, but condenses everything down into 10 simple questions you’ll be required to answer.
This includes information about your risk assessments, method statements, training, qualifications, and more. After you’ve prepared all your evidence and submitted your application, one of our in-house assessors will check the information you have submitted against the SSIP Core Criteria.
As long as everything’s been filled out correctly and you have all of the relevant information (don’t worry, our team and guides can help coach you through this process!) you’ll be awarded with your Worksafe certificate, and your business will then show on both the SSIP and the Smas Worksafe portals.
Your certification will be valid for 12 months, and then you’ll be required to renew, updating us on any changes that may have happened.
Worksafe Plus
For businesses looking for more than just SSIP certification, we offer Worksafe Plus (HSE approved). This combines SSIP with the Smas Standard, which is based on the former
Worksafe Plus also assesses your Environmental and Quality Management systems. This shows you’re going beyond basic Health & Safety certification without the weight of heavier certification like the Common Assessment Standard (Worksafe Pro).
With Worksafe Plus, your documetns will be assessed by one of our trained specialists. You’ll also get access to policy templates for areas like modern slavery, anti-bribery and corruption, and financial and business management.
Deem to Satisfy (DTS)
If your business already holds a valid SSIP certificate but a client is asking you for specifically a Smas Worksafe SSIP assessment, you can use the Deem to Satisfy (DTS) procedure to “passport” your certification across!
Because the SSIP member schemes work on a basis of mutual recognition, you can use a DTS certificate to move your SSIP across from one provider to another for a fraction of the cost. It also saves you a bunch of time, as you don’t have to fill out an entirely new SSIP application assessment.
It’s very important to note that DTS will only last as long as your current SSIP certificate. That means if you’ve got six months left on your SSIP, you’ll only have six months on your DTS. Then, you’ll have to complete another full assessment when the certificate expires.
Your SSIP certification membership options
Find out how we work with contractors, principal contractors and designers on Health & Safety, environmental management and more.
Discover more about all the benefits for contractors and clients below.
What are the benefits of SSIP certification?
SSIP aims to get rid of unnecessary admin work and repetitive form-filling, whilst encouraging standardised rates of Health & Safety – which all works to save both contractors and buyers money.
Benefits for contractors:
- A streamlined tendering
- An advantage over competitors without SSIP certification
- Faster registration with other related pre-qualification portals to improve the range of jobs available
- Makes a more attractive business to draw in industry-leading talent
Benefits for clients:
- A more comprehensive way of assessing potential contractors’ compliance
- Access to the Smas Portal database of users to help find the most appropriate companies to work with
- Makes it simple to determine your company’s level of compliance with easy-to-interpret questions
- Full, professional supply chain management solution available with dedicated support and monthly reviews
Meeting the SSIP Core Criteria
All SSIP members are required to meet the 14 SSIP Core Criteria requirements to achieve certification. To gain your SSIP certificate, your business must be able to show that you meet the core criteria. All SSIP member schemes will require this information from you. Here’s a breakdown of what areas you need to meet:
- Health & Safety Policy that sets out the roles and responsibilities of management.
- Arrangements made for Health & Safety, outlined by your business and how this will be executed. This can include copies of your drug and alcohol policy, how to monitor Health & Safety, and details of risk assessment implementation.
- Competent advice for corporate and construction-related matters from inside or outside your organisation (e.g. using a Health & Safety or HR company who specialises in providing competent advice).
- Training provisions for employees to execute duties safely and effectively. You should have information on who the duty holders are, and what their roles entail (e.g. Principal contractors and principal designers, or normal contractors and designers). You must be able to show that employees have the proper qualifications and experience for their assigned tasks.
- Auditing and monitoring processes should be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
- Workforce involvement requires designating appointed safety representatives and records of any relevant Health & Safety committees.
- Accident reporting should be evidenced and recorded in line with RIDDOR regulations.
- Sub-contracting procedures enable businesses to appoint competent sub-contractors/consultants.
- Risk assessment procedures and evidence how Health & Safety hazards are identified and the control measures to manage these risks.
- Evidence of communication and cooperation between your business and your contractors to achieve a rounded approach.
- Welfare provisions such as cleaning, washing, and changing facilities.
- Designers and Principal Designers should be able to showcase how they will eliminate hazards and risk control to meet duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
For any organisation that’s unable to, or unsure of how to, evidence the ways in which they meet each of the Core Criteria can get in contact with our dedicated team of in-house assessors. We’re here from beginning to end to offer guidance and direction when it comes to completing your application, and improve your chances of success first-try!
Don’t just take our word for it
Here’s what one of our members, Clarkson Evans, has to say about their experience using Smas Worksafe. Having SSIP certification from Smas, has helped their business meet Health & Safety standards and win contracts with leading house building companies:
SSIP Certification FAQs
Applying for certification is a straightforward process, thanks to assessment bodies like Smas Worksafe. Because we’re part of the SSIP scheme, the Worksafe certification we offer helps you meet all 14 Core Criteria set out by the SSIP governing body.
SSIP certification streamlines your Health & Safety pre-qualification process, standardising your approach so any clients you work for can be sure you’re safe and qualified for the task at hand.
With SSIP from Smas, we’ll help you complete your assessment with expert, in-house guidance, making sure you’ve got all your forms and documents in order to give you the best possible chance of passing first time.
SSIP assessments work based on evidence and proof. Without evidence of Health & Safety documents, like risk assessments, training matrixes, and welfare provisions, you won’t pass certification.
But that also means that, when you are approved and certified, you’ll have all of your policies and provisions in place to work in the safest environment possible! Showing your commitment to Health & Safety means a reduced risk of accidents and injuries in the workplace. With our guidance, you’ll be able to invest in excellent safety measures, helping you avoid non-compliance fines, save costs, and boost your reputation as a safe business to work for and with. All this means increased profits and better opportunities for business growth.
At Smas Worksafe, we’ll get you SSIP certified – and signing up is easy! Start your application by filling in our enquiry form at the top of the page. We’ll be in touch to talk you through the application process. We’ll only ask you the questions you need to answer, based on the size of your company, your workforce, and any existing certifications, helping you get certified in the most suitable way for your business. If you’re stuck with any of the questions, you can give our team of in-house assessors a call or get in touch via our email, and they’ll help guide you through the process.
Some clients will request SSIP from a certain member scheme. This means, if your business works for more than one client, you may be asked for an SSIP certificate from two providers.
The Deem to Satisfy (DTS) system allows you to do this more easily. It essentially acts as a passport, making use of the mutual recognition scheme that all SSIP accreditors are a part of. Simply show your DTS passport to another SSIP provider, they’ll then check the details and issue you a certificate for a reduced price without filling out a whole new application form! Find out more about how DTS works here.
The Smas Standard is based on PAS 91, the Publicly Available Specification for pre-qualification questionnaires in construction-related procurement. Even though the UK Government has now discontinued it in favour of higher levels of certification, like the Common Assessment Standard (CAS), we’ve incorporated useful parts of PAS 91 into our Worksafe Plus certification. It’s basically just an extra badge of Health & Safety, helping keep everything standardised and convenient for contractors and clients alike.
When you get SSIP certified with Smas Worksafe, our team of in-house assessors will give you a set of ten questions about your risk assessments, method statements, general Health & Safety policies, and more. We’ll be there from beginning to end to help guide you through the process and answer any questions you’ve got, making the process stress-free.
If it turns out you’ve missed something and we unfortunately can’t grant your certification, we’ll sit down with you and help go through what you can do to improve your business to be more successful next time.
We also offer a bunch of other certification types, including:
- Worksafe: Our SSIP certification
- Worksafe Plus: Our SSIP + Smas Standard certification (Health & Safety + Environmental and Quality Management)
- Worksafe Pro: Our Common Assessment Standard (CAS) certification
We also offer CITB approved training courses, designed to upskill your workforce and boost your Health & Safety standards across the board.
We aim to get all applicants certified in as little as 1-7 days, and, once you’ve received word that you’ve passed the assessment, we’ll send your Worksafe Certificate to you within the next 3-5 days. This will be valid for 12 months, and will have the SSIP stamp of approval to show your business is eligible and operating to SSIP standards.
Smas is just one of many SSIP certification bodies who all work together to support and improve levels of Health & Safety across the UK. For contractors who already hold certification from other member schemes such as CHAS or Constructionline, our Deem to Satisfy (DTS) service can passport your certification across to Smas. This process costs a fraction of the price of a full SSIP certificate, and can take as little as two minutes to complete!
The process may vary depending on factors such as the package you choose and the size of your business. But usually, the process of applying for and achieving SSIP certification is:
- Prepare documents: Gather key Health & Safety documents: policy, risk assessments, method statements, staff training records, and safety audits.
- Complete the assessment: Submit your documents as evidence to answer the assessment questions.
- Get certified: If you meet the standards, you’ll receive Worksafe SSIP certification and can use the SSIP logo.
- Maintain certification: Renew yearly by keeping policies, training, and practices up to date with current Health & Safety laws.
For a complete guide on SSIP, see our blog that dives deep into how to get your business SSIP certified.