7 Health and Safety Accreditation Schemes

SIPP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) is an umbrella scheme recognised by the Health and Safety Executive. There are about 20 health and safety accreditation schemes that enable suppliers to become accredited by SIPP. Suppliers, i.e., contractors, don’t need all of the accreditations for SIPP and PAS 91 accreditation. Having said that, some of the below schemes offer leads by being on their portal. Without further ado, let’s go straight into some of the more renowned contractor accreditations.

Acclaim Accreditation

Acclaim Accreditation is best for smaller businesses, and one of the most popular health and safety accreditation schemes. It’s a simpler, more affordable scheme focusing on core health and safety principles. Due to the simpler approach, it’s best for those new to health and safety management or with limited resources for compliance. But it doesn’t have a portal like the others mentioned below. Having said that, Acclaim is a partner of Constructionline, so by becoming a member there, you’ll become SIPP accredited with Acclaim.

Constructionline

Constructionline is one of the largest portals with tens of thousands of buyers – no one big and small contractors go ahead with this health and safety accreditation scheme. Suppliers are accredited to PAS 91. Until recently, you’d need to use another accreditation provider, one that’s recognised by SIPP, to be SIPP accredited. However, that has recently changed, and members become SIPP accredited via Acclaim Accreditation. Pricing starts from £269 without a valid SIPP.

Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS)

Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS) is a comprehensive pre-qualification scheme and one of the leading accreditations. CHAS accreditation is ideal for businesses of all sizes in the construction industry, including main contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Suppliers will meet SIPP, PAS 91 and the Common Assessment Standard. Once accredited, you’ll be on their portal, which is used by 2,500 buyers, including huge businesses.

CQMS

CQMS states it doesn’t include relationships with external partners within their fees, suggesting that you only pay for the services you require. Similar to other accreditations, there’s a portal for suppliers where buyers can find you. SIPP accreditation starts from £149, and PAS 91 from £224, making them one of the cheapest, with an element of pick ‘n‘ choose. CQMS also has a portal, but we were unable to find any information regarding the number of buyers who use it. 

Alcumus SafeContractor

SafeContractor claims it has a market-leading contractor accreditation. Compared to the other accreditations, you meet PAS 91 in addition to SIPP. PAS 91 is a questionnaire developed by the British Standards Institute (BSI), which is integrated into the SafeContractor accreditation. Once accredited, contractors join the SafeContractor portal, where there are 450 hiring companies. It opens the door for additional projects to grow your business. Pricing starts from £399 per year.

Smas Worksafe

Smas claims to be the number one choice of health and safety accreditation schemes. It supports businesses of all sizes, demonstrating their commitment to best practices. Smas is considered “Excellent“ on Trustpilot with a rating of 4.7 from 230+ reviews. It has a simple, speedy accreditation process, but businesses who left reviews did highlight that it’s demanding. Despite that, they felt it had a significant impact on their growth. Once you’re accredited, your business shows on SIPP and Smas Worksafe Portal for 12-months. Having a listing on the portal enables your business to be found by buyers looking for your services. Pricing starts from £299.

Compliance Chain

Compliance Chain is a portal where members can pre-qualify for tenders, identify projects to bid on and demonstrate compliance. Starting from £500, suppliers gain PAS 91 and SIPP accreditations. Its website shows some insight into the portal, which looks pretty impressive, but there’s a limited number of reviews besides those manually added to their website.

Summary

Deciding upon which of the health and safety accreditation schemes to apply to become SIPP and PAS 91 accredited can be confusing. With the seven we’ve mentioned, you should have a solid starting point. But, making a decision will likely depend on the support you receive to become accredited and the additional benefits on offer such as their portal.