SSIP — Safety Schemes in Procurement

SSIP is an umbrella organisation whose members (CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline, Acclaim, etc.) share H&S assessment data. Achieving accreditation with ANY SSIP member scheme means your H&S assessment is accepted by all other SSIP members — avoiding duplicate submissions to multiple clients.

Issued by SSIP Forum
Typical cost £350 a year
Renewal Every year
Who needs it Electricians, gas engineers, heating engineers, plumbers, builders, groundworkers, roofers, scaffolders

What you need to get it

2 requirements, and what counts as evidence for each.

Choose an SSIP Member Scheme

Select one SSIP member scheme to apply through (e.g. CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline, Acclaim, Avetta). All lead to the same SSIP dossier recognition.

Evidence: Chosen scheme application (see individual scheme pages for requirements).

Core H&S Documentation

The SSIP assessment covers: H&S Policy, risk assessments, method statements, insurance, accident records, training evidence. All SSIP member schemes assess the same core criteria.

Evidence: See CHAS or SafeContractor requirements for detailed document list.

What you have to keep doing

Getting it is the easy part. Keeping it means:

Annual Renewal

Renew through your chosen SSIP scheme annually.

Use SSIP Dossier with Clients

When a client asks for H&S prequalification, direct them to your SSIP member scheme certificate — they should accept it without requiring you to reapply through their preferred scheme.

Is it worth it?

At £350, the question isn’t the fee — it’s whether it wins you work. For electricians it usually does, because it’s the first thing a cautious customer or a commercial buyer checks. Most trades hold accreditations and then hide the logos in the footer. If you’ve paid for it, it belongs where customers actually look.

Apply via SSIP Forum

Tracking it

Accreditations lapse quietly. The renewal date lands in a busy month, nobody spots it, and you find out when a customer asks for the certificate. Gaffer keeps your accreditations, evidence and renewal dates in one place and reminds you before they expire.

See Gaffer