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What is Safe Contractor?

Insight by

amanda

Amanda Lambert

Published on

11 January 2022

Health and safety blog

SafeContractor Accreditation: What It Is & How to Get Approved

Everything contractors, trades, and construction businesses need to know

What Is SafeContractor?

SafeContractor is one of the UK’s leading health & safety accreditation schemes, operated by Alcumus. It provides independent verification that your business meets essential health & safety, risk management, and compliance standards.

For construction companies, subcontractors, and trades, SafeContractor is often required by:

  • Principal contractors

  • Facilities management companies

  • Local authorities

  • Developers

  • Public sector buyers

It helps clients confirm that you operate safely, legally, and professionally.

Why SafeContractor Accreditation Matters

Safe Contractor is more than a badge—it’s a competitive advantage.

1. Win More Work with Bigger Clients

Many large companies only work with contractors who are Safe Contractor approved. Accreditation instantly elevates your credibility.

2. Shows You Take Health & Safety Seriously

Your policies, procedures, and training records are independently checked—giving buyers confidence in your competence.

3. Reduces Repetitive Paperwork

Instead of completing multiple PQQs for every tender, Safe Contractor acts as a pre-qualification shortcut, saving valuable admin time.

4. Proves Legal Compliance

Safe Contractor aligns with UK legislation such as:

  • The Health and Safety at Work Act

  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations

  • CDM Regulations

This shows your business understands and manages risk properly.

5. Enhances Your Reputation

Displaying the Safe Contractor logo instantly reassures clients and partners that your business meets high safety standards.

Get Accredited and Win More Work!

What SafeContractor Checks (Accreditation Requirements)

When you apply, Safe Contractor reviews your:

Health & Safety Documentation

  • Health & safety policy

  • Risk assessments & method statements (RAMS)

  • COSHH assessments

  • Accident/incident reporting procedures

Training & Competence

  • CSCS/CPCS qualifications

  • Toolbox talks

  • Staff induction processes

  • Evidence of ongoing training

Insurance

  • Public liability

  • Employer’s liability

  • Professional indemnity (if required)

Management Systems

  • Safety arrangements

  • Site management systems

  • Contractor control

  • Equipment inspection records

Environmental & Ethical Standards (for SafePQQ)

  • Environmental policy

  • Modern slavery

  • Anti-bribery

  • Equality & diversity

How to Get SafeContractor Accreditation (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Register Online

Create your Safe Contractor account and select your membership level.

Step 2: Complete the Questionnaire

Provide business details, trade categories, and scope of works.

Step 3: Upload the Required Documents

Submit your policies, training records, RAMS, insurance, and evidence.

Step 4: Assessment Review

SafeContractor auditors review your submission and may request more information.

Step 5: Approval & Certification

Once approved, you receive:

  • Your digital certificate

  • SafeContractor logo for marketing

  • Listing in the SafeContractor online directory

Accreditation lasts 12 months.

Common Reasons Safe Contractor Applications Fail

Avoid these frequent issues:

❌ Out-of-date policies
❌ Missing training certificates
❌ No recent RAMS
❌ Insurance not uploaded correctly
❌ Missing evidence of safety arrangements
❌ Incomplete questionnaire sections

Fixing these before submission dramatically improves success.

SafeContractor vs. Other Accreditation Schemes

Scheme Focus Best For
SafeContractor Health & safety & PQQ Contractors, FM, engineering
CHAS Safety & compliance Construction businesses
Constructionline Supply chain verification Contractors needing PAS91 compliance
SMAS Worksafe Health & safety Trades & subcontractors

 

Many companies hold multiple accreditations to maximise opportunities.

Conclusion: Is SafeContractor Worth It?

Absolutely. SafeContractor accreditation helps you:

✔ Win more work
✔ Prove you’re safe and compliant
✔ Reduce tendering admin
✔ Build trust with major clients
✔ Strengthen your brand reputation

If you operate in the construction or FM sector, Safe Contractor is a powerful asset for your business in 2025.

Get a price for Safe Contractor

    Being members of Safe Contractor and Constructionline

    Insight by

    amanda

    Amanda Lambert

    Published on

    25 June 2019

    Constructionline

    Being members of Safe Contractor and Constructionline.

    Being members of Safe Contractor and Constructionline can ensure that your company ticks all the boxes no matter who you decide to work for. As they are separate accreditation’s they cover an accreditation under the SSIP umbrella as well as one for Constructionline.

    There is also a benefit in getting these both together at the same time if you are looking for help in completing them as there is often a discount available.

    In terms of benefits to your business for getting both of the accreditation’s there are a number of benefits from each one:

    Safe Contractor benefits

    • Being a member allows you to be able to show compliance for your health and safety competence to new and existing clients. Providing this is the accreditation they are looking fro you will no longer need to fill in PQQ on an ad hoc basis.
    • You can provide you clients with access to your online portal 24/7
    • If a client has specifically asked you to join they will be notified you have in their monthly report.

    Constructionline Benefits

    • Access to over 8000 buyers
    • Being part of Constructionline shows you have met the standards and regulations set out to comply.
    • Improves your efficiency and time spent on PQQ

    As Health & Safety Consultants we can help you to achieve both accreditations. Learn more about accreditations.

    Get Constructionline Accredited

    Completing the constructionline application takes time and resources, as well as completing lots of forms and health and safety documentation.

    We can make it easy for you by doing all the leg work for you. We carry out over 500 applications a year with 100% success.

    For a small fee, we can take the pain away for you.

    Complete the form, and we will tell you how it works and how much the whole process costs, including the constructionline fee for your circumstances.

      SafePQQ

      Insight by

      amanda

      Amanda Lambert

      Published on

      3 June 2019

      Health and safety blog

      The old Safe contractor Plus has been replaced with a new section called SafePQQ

      What is SafePQQ?

      SafePQQ is in addition to the Main SafeContractor Accreditation, the additional sections provide more information on your company online for your clients to be able to access It is available to purchase online and includes the common question sets defined within PAS91,

      Contractors with an existing SafeContractor accreditation are eligible for SafePQQ.

      • The additional sections include:
      • Finance
      • Environment
      • Quality Management
      • Equality
      • Modern Slavery
      • Anti-bribery
      • GDPR
      • Right to Work
      • Building Information Modelling
      • References

      SafePQQ is an online platform which has been set up to provide a way of verifying commitment to best practice, cost effectively and quickly, for businesses and contractors. SafePQQ collects and verifies information including financials, environmental management, quality management, equality, modern slavery, anti-bribery and GDPR.

      Contractors sign up and submit their details once a year, giving businesses confidence that they have the most up to date information on their supply chain compliance and helping them make informed decisions on their procurement choices.

      The new product also makes the procurement process more manageable for contractors, reducing the need for them to provide compliance information to various clients at different times to win new business opportunities.

      The process can be difficult, however we can help you.

      If you are looking for assistance with any of the sections we have template policies available or if you would like a more bespoke service please get in touch.

      Safe Contractor Joining fees

      Insight by

      amanda

      Amanda Lambert

      Published on

      1 November 2016

      Health and safety blog

      Safe Contractor Joining fees

      Here are the latest Safe Contractor joining fees as of November 2016 , it should be noted these fees change on a year by year basis.

      Safe Contractor is part of the SSIP umbrella group and is an assessment of your companies Health & Safety capabilities. It is often a requirement to have Safe Contractor should you wish to work with some private and public sector clients. As Safe Contractor is part of SSIP if you have an alternative SSIP accreditation such as CHAS or Acclaim you will be able to take advantage of their Deem to Satisfy system.

      There are a number of ways you can apply for safe contractor you can register and complete all the required paperwork yourself or you can enlist the services of a 3rd party consultant. They will provide expert advice and support and help you through the process.

      Why Safe Contractor

      Alcumus SafeContractor takes the pain out of compliance for organisations, helping them protect their people, their operations, and the planet.

       

      If you are looking for help please see our information available.

      The Safe Contractor Joining fees are listed below are correct as of 25/10/2016

      Owner Operator

      £189 + VAT

      1-4 employees

      £279 + VAT

      5-15 employees

      £369 + VAT

      16-30 employees

      £469 + VAT

      31-50 employees

      £579 + VAT

      51-250 employees

      £739 + VAT

      >250 employees

      £899 + VAT

       

       

      New Fast Track Safe Contractor Service

      Insight by

      amanda

      Amanda Lambert

      Published on

      31 May 2016

      Health and safety blog

      New Fast Track Safe Contractor Service

      Applying and renewing your Safe Contractor accreditation has never been easier. Safe Contractor have introduced a new fast track service to help to speed up the assessment of your application:

      • Standard turnaround – 4-6 weeks
      • Fast Track – 3-5 working days
      • Fast Track Premium – 2 working days

      There are additional benefits to the new service as well as the response time, these are:

      • Dedicated support officer
      • Advice and Assistance
      • Priority audit and certificate
      • Partial Completion

      What are the benefits?

      The accreditation is a recognised in the industry and will save you time completing multiple pre-qualification questionnaires (PPQ’s) for your clients.

      • Compliance – The accreditation shows compliance with health & safety law.
      • More opportunities – More organisations will work with you.
      • Commercial benefits – Opens the door for bigger & better contracts.
      • Time and resources – Helps improve your business’ productivity.
      • Health & Safety Standards – Improve company health & safety practice.
      • Communication – A standardised process helps improve communication.

      There are additional business benefits that can be found on their website.

      Why apply for your Safe Contractor accreditation?

      When you undertake your Safe Contractor registration, you will be demonstrating that you meet the recognised standards required by any organisation looking to employ you as a contractor. Having your Safe Contractor accreditation is almost certain to open more doors and lead to more opportunities – in turn generating more business and profit for you, ensuring your own workforce is protected by robust health and safety practices.

      Ticking all the boxes to be Safe Contrctor approved

      With over 20 years experience here at Seguro we can assist you from start to finish with the minimum amount of input from yourselves.

      Our job is make sure that we provide you with the information and assistance to complete the submission and to ensure you can use the documents created moving forward.

      The benefits of using Seguro for your Safe Contractor application

      We have over 20 years experience in the industry and successfully complete over 500 applications every year.

      • Save time and money. We fill out all the forms for you.
      • Win more work. Many organisations require businesses to be registered.
      • Health & safety standards. Improve company health & safety practice.
      • Competitive edge. Stay ahead of your competitors.
      • Communication. A standardised process helps improve communication.
      • Freedom. Focus on your core business activities.

      We can help you to complete all the paperwork needed as well as helping you to implement the process into your business moving forward.

      There are associated costs involved, to find out the latest fees get in touch and we will give you all the insights you need to make a decision.

      If you are unsure if Safe Contractor is what you need and would like some advice on which accreditation would be best for your company please get in touch and we will be happy to help.

      SafeContractor Alcumus & SafeContractor Login

      Insight by

      amanda

      Amanda Lambert

      Published on

      5 January 2016

      Health and safety blog

      SafeContractor Alcumus & SafeContractor Login: Complete Guide for Contractors

      SafeContractor login – How to get accredited, manage your account, and stay compliant

      What Is the SafeContractor Scheme?

      The SafeContractor Scheme, operated by Alcumus, is one of the UK’s leading health & safety accreditation programmes. It provides independent verification that your business meets essential standards in:

      • Health & safety management

      • Competence and training

      • Insurance and risk control

      • Environmental and ethical practices (with SafePQQ)

      For contractors, subcontractors, and service providers, SafeContractor is a powerful way to demonstrate compliance, meet client requirements, and win more work.

      SafeContractor is widely used in sectors such as:

      • Construction

      • Facilities management

      • Engineering

      • Cleaning & maintenance

      • Manufacturing

      • Local authority and public sector

      How can we help?

      We can complete the application, gather all required documents and answers to questions, and compile all necessary evidence, allowing you to focus on your job. We are efficient, economical and have a 100% success rate.

      Get your accreditation within a few days with zero pain!

      Why SafeContractor Accreditation Matters

      SafeContractor Alcumus accreditation benefits contractors in several ways:

      1. Helps You Win More Work

      Many principal contractors, FM companies, and large clients require SafeContractor as part of their onboarding and procurement process. Having it increases your chances during PQQs and tendering.

      2. Reduces Repetitive Paperwork

      SafeContractor acts as a verified pre-qualification, meaning you won’t need to complete lengthy safety questionnaires for each new contract.

      3. Demonstrates Legal Compliance

      The assessment aligns with key UK legislation including:

      • Health and Safety at Work Act

      • Management of Health & Safety Regulations

      • CDM Regulations

      4. Builds Trust With Clients

      Displaying the SafeContractor badge signals professionalism, competence, and strong safety culture.

      5. Improves Your Safety Systems

      The scheme encourages businesses to maintain up-to-date policies, RAMS, training records, and incident procedures.

      What SafeContractor Assesses

      To gain accreditation, companies must provide evidence of:

      Health & Safety Documentation

      • H&S policy

      • Risk assessments (RAMS)

      • COSHH documents

      • Contractor control procedures

      • Workplace safety arrangements

      Competence & Training

      • CSCS/CPCS proof

      • Certificates of training

      • Induction procedures

      • Toolbox talks

      Insurance Requirements

      • Employer’s liability

      • Public liability

      • Professional indemnity (if required)

      Environmental & Ethical Standards (SafePQQ)

      • Environmental policy

      • Equality & diversity

      • Anti-bribery

      • Modern slavery

      How to Get SafeContractor Accreditation

      Follow these steps to achieve approval:

      Step 1 – Register Online

      Visit the SafeContractor website and create an account.

      Step 2 – Complete Your Company Profile

      Provide details on:

      • Business activities

      • Trades and competencies

      • Employee numbers

      • Contact information

      Step 3 – Upload Required Evidence

      Submit your:

      • RAMS

      • Policies

      • Training records

      • Insurance certificates

      • Relevant compliance documents

      Step 4 – Assessment Review

      An Alcumus auditor reviews your documents and may request additional evidence (known as a “further information request”).

      Step 5 – Approval & Certification

      Once approved, you can access your:

      • SafeContractor certificate

      • Accreditation badge

      • Listing in the SafeContractor directory

      Accreditation lasts for 12 months.

      STOP THINK

      There is a quick way to get your accreditation. We have a 100% success rate for completed accreditations and complete over 1,000 per year; we can do it for you. CALL 0800 031 5404 during office hours or complete the form on the link below:

      Get your Accreditation within a few days with zero pain! From £300

      How to Use the SafeContractor Login – Step-by-Step Guide

      Once registered, you can manage everything from your SafeContractor portal.

      1. Visit the SafeContractor Login Page

      Go to the official SafeContractor Alcumus website and click “Login” at the top right.

      2. Enter Your Email and Password

      Use the credentials you created during registration.

      3. Access Your Dashboard

      From your dashboard, you can:

      • Upload documents

      • Respond to auditor requests

      • Renew your accreditation

      • Update insurance details

      • Download your certificate

      • Edit your business profile

      4. Manage Accreditation Renewal

      Renewals are handled through the same login area and typically require updated:

      • RAMS

      • Policies

      • Training certificates

      • Insurance documents

      5. SafePQQ Login (Optional)

      If you’re using SafePQQ for extended PQQ compliance, access it through the same portal.

      Common Login Issues & How to Fix Them

      Forgotten Password

      Click “Forgot password?” to reset it via email.

      Dashboard Locked

      This may happen if documents are overdue—contact support or update your information.

      Document Upload Errors

      Ensure files are:

      • PDF or JPG

      • Under the allowed size

      • Clearly scanned

      Accreditation Not Showing

      This usually appears once the audit team completes their final review.

      SafeContractor vs Other SSIP Schemes

      Accreditation Focus Best For
      SafeContractor Health & safety + PQQ Contractors wanting strong buyer recognition
      CHAS Safety & compliance Construction sector
      SMAS Health & safety Trades & subcontractors
      Constructionline PAS91 compliance Larger contractors & supply chain

      Many companies hold multiple SSIP accreditations for wider client acceptance.

      Conclusion: Is SafeContractor Worth It?

      Yes, it’s one of the most recognised and respected SafeContractor Alcumus accreditations in the UK. It helps businesses:

      ✔ Win more work
      ✔ Strengthen credibility
      ✔ Reduce paperwork
      ✔ Stay legally compliant
      ✔ Improve safety performance

      If your business wants to grow in construction, facilities management, engineering, or the public sector, SafeContractor accreditation is a strategic investment.

      Get your Accreditation within a few days with zero pain! from £300