CHAS vs Constructionline vs SafeContractor: SSIP explained

If a council or main contractor has told you “you need CHAS” or “you need Constructionline”, you’re looking at one of several routes to the same thing: proof that your health and safety management is sound. This page compares CHAS vs Constructionline (and SafeContractor) factually. We don’t sell any of these schemes and we don’t rank them. Facts about SSIP and Build UK are as at 11 Oct 2026, so check the scheme’s own pages for current terms and fees.

The short version

What SSIP is and how “deem to satisfy” works

SSIP exists to facilitate mutual recognition between health and safety assessment schemes and reduce duplication. Its member schemes meet the SSIP Core Criteria, and it covers health and safety pre-qualification only, not other areas like quality or environment.

“Deem to satisfy” is the mechanism. Under SSIP’s rules, Registered Members recognise each other’s assessments. Certification Body Members can deem to satisfy to Registered Members, but not the other way round.

The aim is that you don’t repeat the same assessment for every buyer that names a different scheme. Whether a particular scheme is a member, and in which category, is shown on the SSIP member list, so check it rather than assuming.

The Common Assessment Standard, and what happened to PAS 91

PAS 91, the old construction pre-qualification specification, was withdrawn by the BSI. PPN 03/24 (para 7) says the same.

CAS is the replacement question set. Build UK says suppliers are certified through Recognised Assessment Bodies (RABs), and publishes the current list. Check it for each scheme’s status.

Build UK publishes the current version of the Common Assessment Standard on its website; check it for the latest question set before you rely on it.

On the buyer side, gov.uk guidance (para 36) says buyers can keep using industry tools such as CAS for works contracts, if they meet the Act’s requirements. Formerly, PPN 03/24 directed CAS in place of the standard selection questionnaire for works pre-qualification.

CHAS vs Constructionline vs SafeContractor

What we can state from the sources:

• Constructionline, Veriforce CHAS, SafeContractor and any other scheme: check Build UK’s current list of Common Assessment Standard Recognised Assessment Bodies and the SSIP member list for each scheme’s status on the day you apply. The list changes, so we don’t reproduce it here.

We’re not stating pricing, tiers or feature claims, because we can’t source them and they change. Get current terms from each provider.

Who should choose which

• If a buyer or main contractor names a scheme, start there, and ask whether an SSIP-recognised alternative is acceptable.
• If you do works for main contractors, ask which scheme it wants. CAS is the industry-agreed question set (Build UK), so ask which RABs it accepts.
• If you only need health and safety pre-qualification for the odd public tender, one SSIP member scheme may be enough.
• If you’re asked for different schemes by different buyers, ask each whether your existing certificate is recognised before paying for another.

What this comparison leaves out

We’ve only included facts we can attribute to SSIP, Build UK, BSI or gov.uk. We haven’t covered pricing, membership tiers or marketing claims, because they change and the scheme operators describe them best themselves. If a provider’s own page says something different from this one, trust the provider’s current page and the SSIP member list.

What public buyers can and can’t insist on

A buyer can set technical ability conditions, but they must be proportionate to the contract’s nature, complexity and cost. The Act also says a buyer cannot require particular qualifications without allowing for their equivalents (s.22(4)(c) and (5)). A tender that says “CHAS only” is therefore open to a polite question: would an equivalent be accepted?

This isn’t a right to skip health and safety evidence. The buyer can still ask you to show your approach in a way it can assess.

How often is certification named? In the week to 10 Oct 2026, 29 of 470 live notices (about 6%) named a certification in the notice itself (as of 10 Oct 2026; how we count). For other notices, any certification requirement will be in the tender documents, if there is one.

Not accredited yet?

• Start with one SSIP member scheme. Mutual recognition is the point of SSIP.
• Add CAS if you do works for main contractors.
• Ask the buyer whether equivalent evidence is acceptable, before you pay.

Questions to ask before you pay for any scheme

1. Who is asking, and which scheme do they name? Check whether they accept an SSIP-recognised alternative.
2. Is the scheme on the SSIP member list, and in which category?
3. What does it cover? SSIP recognition is limited to health and safety pre-qualification, so it won’t answer questions on quality or environment.
4. How long does the certificate last? Ask each provider, including any CAS route, for its renewal terms and budget for them.
5. When does the buyer need it: at bid stage, or before award? The pack should say.
6. What does it cost, and is that sensible against the work you could win? Prices vary by provider and size of business, so get written quotes.

Three situations you may meet

A council tender names one scheme. Read whether it says “or equivalent”. If it doesn’t, ask whether an SSIP-recognised scheme or equivalent evidence is acceptable. Section 22(4)(c) is on your side, but the buyer is entitled to see evidence it can assess.

A main contractor asks you to be CAS-certified before it will use you as a subcontractor. Here the contractor decides, not the Act. Ask which Recognised Assessment Bodies it accepts and whether it will take an existing SSIP assessment.

Two buyers name two different schemes. Ask both whether your existing certificate is recognised before you buy a second one.

Insurance questions can sit alongside these in a pre-qualification pack: see public liability insurance. For other certifications, see ISO 9001. Live trade tenders are listed under construction.

Our tender eligibility checker is coming soon. Until then, tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon.