SMAS Accreditation (Safety Management Advisory Services) is a UK Health and Safety Certification that demonstrates a contractor’s compliance with core safety standards, particularly within construction and related industries.
What it involves and why it matters:
SMAS Worksafe is a nationally recognised health and safety accreditation scheme. It’s part of the SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) framework, which is endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). SMAS assesses a business’s Health and Safety Management Systems to ensure they meet legal and industry standards.
Who needs it?
Contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers across construction, facilities management, and related sectors are required to be SMAS accredited.
Common trades include electrical, groundworks, bricklaying, asbestos removal, and cleaning services. Many large contractors and clients require SMAS or equivalent SSIP accreditation before allowing work to begin or indeed before you are allowed to tender for the work with them.
Levels of SMAS Accreditation
There are three main levels of SMAS Accreditation – Worksafe SSIP, SMAS Worksafe Plus and Worksafe Pro. Each offers a different depth of compliance assessment depending on your business needs.
SMAS Worksafe SSIP Certification
All SSIP members are required to meet the 14 SSIP Core Criteria requirements to achieve certification. To gain your SSIP certificate, your business must be able to show that you meet the core criteria. All SSIP member schemes will require this information from you. Here’s a breakdown of the areas you need to meet:
Health & Safety Policy: Must be signed, dated, and relevant to your operations.
Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS): Tailored to your work activities and regularly reviewed.
Training and Competence Records: Evidence of staff qualifications, CSCS cards, toolbox talks, and induction processes.
Accident Reporting and Investigation Procedures: Systems for recording incidents and implementing corrective actions.
Monitoring and Review: Demonstration of how you audit and improve your safety systems.
Competent Person Details: Identification of who advises on health and safety (internal or external), with proof of qualifications.
Who Should Use SMAS Worksafe SSIP Certification?
This certification is ideal for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers in construction, facilities management, and related industries. It is required by many clients and principal contractors as part of pre-qualification or tendering.
The SMAS Worksafe SSIP Certification is valid for 12 months. Renewal requires updated documentation and reassessment.
SMAS Worksafe Plus (formerly PQQ)
If you’re looking for Health & Safety certification above the basic Worksafe SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement), then Worksafe Plus helps you go above and beyond. Incorporating the Health & Safety principles of SSIP with the SMAS Standard (formerly PAS 91), Worksafe Plus gives you added compliance with Environmental and Quality Management provisions. SMAS Worksafe Plus also involves a fast-tracked SSIP health and safety assessment; ideal for contractors needing rapid certification.
Fast-Track SSIP Accreditation
The SMAS Worksafe Plus accreditation includes priority processing. Certification can be achieved in as little as 1 working day, depending on submission quality and the assessor’s availability.
Core Health & Safety Documentation Requirements
Covers all required health and safety documentation, including:
Signed Health & Safety Policy Statement: You must have a health and safety policy statement that is dated within the last 12 months, and reflects your actual work activities.
Full Health & Safety Policy: A full heath and safety policy is required. It must include responsibilities, arrangements, and procedures.
Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS): Ensure you have RAMS that are specific to your trade and recent projects. These must show suitable hazard identification and control measures.
COSHH Assessments: If you use hazardous substances, COSHH assessments are required.
Toolbox Talk Attendance Sheets: Evidence of ongoing safety communication and training is needed.
Training Records: Evidence of training records such as CSCS cards, certificates (e.g. Working at Height, Asbestos Awareness, Manual Handling), and induction records for employees and subcontractors are required.
Accident and Incident Reporting Procedures: It is mandatory to have logs, investigation forms, and corrective actions for any accidents or incidents that have occurred.
Monitoring and Review Evidence: Ensure you have safety inspection reports and internal audits or management reviews recorded.
PAT Test Records and Plant Certificates: You must have PAT test records for electrical equipment and plant certificates for machinery used on site.
Competent Person Evidence:
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- CV of Your Safety Advisor
- Proof of Qualifications
- NEBOSH, IOSH, or equivalent
- Agreement or Appointment Letter
- If using an external advisor
Who Should Use SMAS Worksafe Plus?
This accreditation is best for contractors requiring a quick turnaround of their application.
The SMAS Worksafe Pro accreditation is valid for 12 months. Renewal requires updated documentation and reassessment.
SMAS Worksafe Pro
SMAS Worksafe Pro involves an advanced compliance package that includes the SSIP Accreditation Plus assessment (see above for detail) and the Common Assessment Standard (CAS), covering health and safety, environmental, quality, and ethical business practices.
CAS was developed by Build UK and CECA to standardise pre-qualification across the construction industry. This includes:
- Health & Safety
- Environmental Management (aligned with IEMA standards)
- Quality Management (aligned with IRCA standards)
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Modern Slavery & Anti-Bribery Policies
- Financial and Insurance Checks
- Information Security
- Business Continuity
Who Should Use SMAS Worksafe Pro?
SMAS Worksafe Pro is idea for contractors bidding for large-scale or public sector project, businesses working with Build UK members and firms seeking a single, recognised compliance standard across multiple clients.
The SMAS Worksafe Pro accreditation is valid for 12 months. Renewal requires updated documentation and reassessment.
Benefits of SMAS Accreditation
SMAS Accreditation offers contractors a competitive edge by proving Health and Safety compliance, streamlining tender processes, and enhancing credibility with clients, especially in construction and facilities management. Alongside the fact that SMAS is known for quick processing times and strong customer support, there are many significant benefits of being SMAS accredited, including:
SSIP Recognition
SMAS is a registered member of the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP). This means your SMAS certificate is accepted by a wide range of organisations across the UK. It avoids duplication; once accredited, you can use the “Deem-to-Satisfy” route for other SSIP schemes like CHAS or SafeContractor. Watson & Watson Health & Safety Consultants can help you with both your SMAS Application and the subsequent Deem to Satisfy Route.
Improved Tender Success
Many clients and principal contractors require SSIP accreditation before allowing you to bid. SMAS helps you meet pre-qualification requirements quickly and efficiently. It’s especially valuable for PQQs and frameworks where health and safety are a key scoring factor.
Demonstrates Commitment to Safety
Accreditation shows you have robust health and safety policies, risk assessments, and training systems in place. This builds trust with clients and reduces the risk of being excluded from projects due to compliance concerns.
Marketing and Visibility
Accredited businesses are listed in the SMAS Worksafe contractor database, which clients use to find compliant suppliers. Higher membership tiers (Professional and Elite) offer promotional tools, partner network access, and business development support.
Annual Renewal Keeps You Current
The 12-month renewal cycle encourages businesses to maintain up-to-date documentation and stay aligned with evolving regulations.
Common Pitfalls in Applying for a SMAS Accreditation
Common pitfalls in applying for SMAS Accreditation include submitting outdated or incomplete documentation, misunderstanding the assessment criteria, and failing to tailor evidence to your specific trade or business size.
Outdated or Missing Documentation
Ensure that all policies are up-to-date and haven’t expired. For example, if your health & safety policy is older than 12 months, you’ll fail to become SMAS accredited.
Missing RAMS, or having risk assessments and method statements that are not tailored to current work, is also a pitfall that would cause you to fail the assessment.
Another downfall when it comes to not only SMAS accreditation criteria, but also general health and safety best practice, is having no evidence of training e.g. CSCS cards, toolbox talks, or induction records, as well as a lack of incident reporting procedures or accident logs.
Generic or Irrelevant Submissions
Avoid submitting template documents without adapting them to your business, or using RAMS or policies that don’t reflect your actual work activities.
Failing to explain how your systems apply to your trade can cause you to fail the SMAS assessment.
Not Appointing a Competent Person
Another common pitfall is not having a named competent health and safety advisor, or having an advisor who lacks suitable qualifications (e.g. NEBOSH, IOSH Managing Safely). To avoid this mistake, ensure that you submit your CV or proof of competence.
Overlooking Small Business Adjustments
Micro-businesses often overcomplicate submissions, trying to meet large-contractor standards unnecessarily. Simplify the process and focus on meeting the essential requirements.
Lack of Internal Review
Internal review such as monitoring, auditing, or reviewing your H&S systems is essential, however this is overlooked in many cases. Failing to show how you learn from incidents or near misses can cause you to fail to be come accredited.
Poor Communication During Assessment
SMAS are known for their quick processing, and so not responding to SMAS queries or requests for clarification, or uploading documents in the wrong sections or formats can slow down the process on your end.
Need Help with Gaining a SMAS Accreditation?
At Watson and Watson Health and Safety Consultants, we deal with SMAS applications on a day-to-day basis, and our professionally qualified team are here to help you throughout the application process.
For more information and assistance, call us on 01623 753 654 for a no pressure discussion on your requirements.
