SafeContractor Evidence Checklist: Every Document You Need to Pass

Most SafeContractor applications are not decided by the questionnaire answers. They are decided by the evidence behind them. An assessor can only accept what you can prove, and the most common reason for a delayed or failed assessment is a document that is missing, out of date, unsigned or does not match the question it was uploaded against.

This checklist sets out the documents and records SafeContractor assessors typically expect to see, the sector-specific evidence that is often requested on top, the reasons evidence is most commonly rejected and how to organise an evidence pack that gets through first time. For a full overview of the scheme itself, see our SafeContractor guide.

Why Evidence Decides Your SafeContractor Outcome

SafeContractor, operated by Alcumus, is a member of SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement). Like other SSIP schemes, it assesses whether a contractor has suitable health and safety arrangements for the work it does. The assessment is carried out online: you answer the questions that apply to your business and upload supporting documents, and an assessor reviews them.

The assessor is not checking whether you have a folder of policies. They are checking three things:

• Does the document exist and is it current? Signed, dated and reviewed within the expected period.
• Is it specific to your business? It names your company, describes the work you actually do and identifies the people responsible.
• Does it answer the question asked? Evidence uploaded against the wrong question, or a document that only partly covers the requirement, is usually sent back.

If any of those checks fail, the assessor will normally raise a query and ask for more information. Each round of queries adds time. When a client has asked you to become accredited before starting work, those delays can cost you the contract.

The exact questions you are asked depend on your business size, your trade and the level of assessment your clients require, so always work from the current question set in your SafeContractor account. The checklist below covers the evidence that comes up most often.

Core Documents: Policy, Organisation and Arrangements

Your health and safety policy is the foundation of the whole assessment. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, a business with five or more employees must have a written health and safety policy. SafeContractor and other SSIP schemes generally expect to see one regardless of size, because it is the clearest evidence that health and safety is managed rather than left to chance.

A complete policy has three parts, and assessors look for all three.

1. Statement of intent

• A short statement of your commitment to health and safety
• Signed and dated by the most senior person in the business, such as the managing director or owner
• Reviewed within the last 12 months, with the review date visible

2. Organisation (responsibilities)

• Who has overall responsibility for health and safety
• Who is responsible for day-to-day arrangements, supervision and site safety
• The responsibilities of employees and, where relevant, subcontractors
• Your source of competent health and safety advice, whether that is a qualified person in-house or an external adviser

3. Arrangements

This section explains how you manage the risks relevant to your work. Typical headings include:

• Risk assessment and method statements
• Training, induction and competence
• Accident, incident and near-miss reporting, including RIDDOR
• First aid and welfare
• Fire safety and emergency procedures
• Hazardous substances (COSHH)
• Work equipment, maintenance and inspection
• Working at height, manual handling and any other high-risk activities you carry out
• Selection and management of subcontractors
• Consultation with employees
• Monitoring, auditing and review

Arrangements should describe what you actually do. If your policy says you hold monthly toolbox talks, expect to be asked for records of them.

Risk Assessments and Method Statements

Risk assessments are where generic documents are most easily spotted. Assessors want to see that you have identified the hazards of your work and put sensible controls in place.

Good risk assessment evidence usually includes:

• Activity-specific risk assessments for the main tasks you carry out, not a single generic form
• Hazards identified, who might be harmed and how
• Existing controls and any further actions needed, with names and target dates
• The name of the assessor, the date and a review date
• Method statements (safe systems of work) for higher-risk tasks, showing the sequence of work and the controls at each stage
• COSHH assessments for hazardous substances you use, supported by safety data sheets
• Where relevant, assessments for specific risks such as manual handling, noise, vibration, lone working or display screen equipment

A useful test is to hand the risk assessment to one of your operatives. If they would not recognise the task being described, the assessor will not either.

Insurance Certificates

Insurance is one of the simplest areas to get right, and one of the most common reasons for a query. Assessors will normally look for:

Insurance	What Assessors Check	Common Problems
Employers’ liability	A current certificate if you employ staff. It is a legal requirement for most employers, with a minimum cover of £5 million.	Expired certificate, wrong company name, or the policy schedule uploaded instead of the certificate.
Public liability	Current certificate showing the insured name, policy period and level of cover.	Cover lower than your clients require, or activities you carry out excluded from the policy.
Professional indemnity	Requested where you provide design, advice or professional services.	Not held, or not uploaded when the question applies.
Other cover	Contract works, plant or product liability if relevant to your trade or client requirements.	Uploaded without explaining how it relates to the work.

Check that the name on every certificate matches the legal name of the business being assessed, including “Ltd” or “Limited”. Set a reminder before renewal dates: an expired certificate can affect your accreditation status after you have been approved, not just during the assessment.

Training and Competence Records

SafeContractor needs to see that the people doing the work are competent to do it safely. Competence is a mix of training, qualifications, experience and supervision, and assessors usually ask for evidence such as:

• A training matrix listing each employee, their role and the training or qualifications they hold, with expiry dates
• Certificates or cards for key qualifications, for example CSCS, first aid, asbestos awareness, IPAF, PASMA or manual handling, depending on your work
• Induction records showing that new starters were taken through your health and safety arrangements
• Toolbox talk records with the topic, date and signatures of attendees
• Management training for directors or supervisors, such as IOSH Managing Safely or SMSTS where relevant
• Evidence of your competent health and safety adviser’s qualifications, if you rely on one

The training matrix matters more than a pile of certificates. It shows the assessor you know what training each role requires and when it needs renewing, which is exactly the kind of control they are looking for.

Sector-Specific Evidence

Depending on your trade and the risks involved, you may be asked for additional evidence. Common examples include:

Sector or Activity	Typical Additional Evidence
Construction	CDM 2015 arrangements, construction phase plans where you act as principal contractor, site induction records and F10 notifications where applicable.
Electrical	Competent person scheme registration, such as NICEIC or NAPIT, test equipment calibration records and safe isolation procedures.
Gas and heating	Gas Safe registration for the business and engineers, with the relevant categories.
Refrigeration and air conditioning	F-Gas company certification and individual engineer certificates.
Working at height	Access equipment inspection records, harness inspections, rescue plans and IPAF or PASMA cards.
Lifting operations	LOLER thorough examination reports and lift plans.
Waste	Waste carrier registration and waste transfer notes.
Cleaning and FM	COSHH assessments for cleaning chemicals, lone working arrangements and equipment maintenance records.

Some clients also ask contractors to complete additional SafeContractor modules beyond health and safety, for example environmental, quality or employment practices. Check what your client requires before you start, so you gather all the evidence in one go.

Common Reasons Evidence Is Rejected

From the assessor’s side, most queries come from the same handful of problems. Avoiding them is the fastest way to shorten your assessment.

• Unsigned or undated policies. The statement of intent must be signed by the most senior person and show a current date.
• Out-of-date reviews. Policies, risk assessments and insurance that have passed their review or expiry dates.
• Generic templates. Documents that mention another company’s name, trades you do not carry out, or roles that do not exist in your business.
• Mismatch between policy and practice. The policy promises inspections, meetings or audits, but there are no records to show they happen.
• Wrong document for the question. For example, a policy uploaded where a record was requested, or an insurance schedule instead of a certificate.
• Missing names and responsibilities. Roles described in general terms without anyone named.
• Expired training. Certificates or cards that lapsed before the assessment.
• Poor-quality uploads. Blurred photos, partial scans or password-protected files the assessor cannot open.
• No evidence of subcontractor control. Using subcontractors without showing how you check their competence and insurance.

Our guide to SafeContractor accreditation covers the wider process, including deem-to-satisfy routes if you already hold another SSIP accreditation.

How to Organise Your Evidence Pack

A well-organised evidence pack saves time for you and the assessor. Before you open the questionnaire, build a single folder structured like this:

1. 01 Policy: signed statement of intent, organisation and arrangements
2. 02 Risk: risk assessments, method statements and COSHH assessments
3. 03 Insurance: current certificates for every policy
4. 04 Competence: training matrix, certificates, inductions and toolbox talks
5. 05 Monitoring: inspection records, audits, accident and near-miss logs, management review notes
6. 06 Subcontractors: your selection procedure and completed checks
7. 07 Sector: trade registrations and any sector-specific records

Then follow a few simple rules:

• Name files clearly, for example “Health and Safety Policy – signed 2026-09.pdf”, so the assessor knows what they are opening
• Upload PDFs rather than photos wherever possible, and check each file opens
• Read each question carefully and upload only the evidence that answers it; if one document covers several questions, point to the relevant page or section
• Check every date before you submit: signatures, reviews, insurance periods and training expiry
• Keep the folder live after approval, so your annual renewal is a review rather than a rebuild

If you are building documents from scratch or your current policies have not been reviewed in a while, our health and safety services can help you put proportionate, business-specific documents in place.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof does SafeContractor need?

SafeContractor typically asks for a signed and dated health and safety policy, activity-specific risk assessments and method statements, current insurance certificates, training and competence records, and evidence of how you monitor health and safety and manage subcontractors. Additional evidence may be requested depending on your trade and the level of assessment your client requires.

Do I need a health and safety policy if I have fewer than five employees?

The legal requirement for a written policy applies to businesses with five or more employees, but SafeContractor and other SSIP schemes generally expect to see a written policy regardless of size. A short, proportionate policy that reflects your business is enough for most small contractors.

How often do documents need to be reviewed?

Assessors usually expect your health and safety policy to have been reviewed within the last 12 months. Risk assessments should be reviewed regularly and whenever the work, equipment or people change. Insurance and training must be current at the time of assessment.

Can I use templates for my SafeContractor documents?

Templates can be a useful starting point, but they must be tailored to your business. Documents that refer to other companies, trades you do not carry out or roles you do not have are one of the most common reasons for rejection.

What happens if the assessor rejects my evidence?

The assessor will normally explain what is missing or needs correcting and ask you to resubmit. You can usually respond through your SafeContractor account. The sooner you provide the right evidence, the sooner your assessment can be completed.

Does my SafeContractor evidence count towards other SSIP schemes?

SSIP member schemes recognise each other’s core health and safety assessments through deem-to-satisfy arrangements, so a well-organised evidence pack can often be reused. Some schemes and clients will still ask for additional information beyond the SSIP core criteria.