The following Core Criteria relate to SSIP Approved (non-construction organisations) and CDM Duty-holders under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 (ROI) and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.

Additional standards are required to demonstrate competence and compliance with the Building Safety Act and secondary legislation i.e. Building Regulations.

SSIP CRITERIA – STANDARDS TO BE ACHIEVED

[1] Health & Safety policy and organisation for Health & Safety

• The SSIP member is to verify that the supplier has created and implemented a suitable health and safety policy.
• The statement of intent must be signed by the Managing Director or equivalent and dated from within the previous 12 months.
• The policy should define the roles, responsibilities, and chain of command for health and safety within the company. It should specify who is responsible for what, from the management team down to individual employees.
• Details of who is responsible for H&S within the company i.e., name of H&S contact who should be a director of the business.

[2] Arrangements

• The SSIP member is to verify that the supplier has clearly defined arrangements, procedures and/or systems for managing Health & Safety within the organisation.
• The arrangements, procedures and/or systems should be appropriate / proportionate for the size of business assessed and the kind of work they undertake.
• The arrangements, procedures and/or systems should set out how the company will discharge their duties under current Health & Safety legislation such as duties under the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations (CDM) or the Safety Health & Welfare (ROI)
• Verification if a drug and alcohol policy is in place.
  (Response Advisory – holding a policy is not a mandatory requirement)

• Verification if arrangements are in place covering mental health, fatigue and employee wellbeing
  (Response Advisory – holding arrangements are not a mandatory requirement).

• Verification if a behavioural management or behavioural safety programme is in place.
  (Response Advisory – holding arrangements are not a mandatory requirement).

[3] Competent advice – corporate and construction related

• The SSIP member is to verify that the supplier has appointed one or more competent persons to assist the business in meeting its health and safety obligations.
• This individual(s) must have a combination of sufficient training, experience, knowledge, and other qualities to provide proper advice. This could include the holding formal health and safety qualifications such as NEBOSH or equivalent
• For suppliers working in the construction industry, the appointed competent person or adviser must possess specific knowledge of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) and related construction risks.

[4] Training and information

• The SSIP member is to verify that the supplier has implemented and maintained a system to ensure all employees and labour only sub-contractors have received appropriate health and safety (H&S) training relevant to their industry and the specific roles and activities they undertake. This could include evidence of initial training, refresher training, and ongoing competence development.
• The supplier is required to provide a sample of training records demonstrating that:
  • Employees and labour only contractors have received health and safety.
  • Training is current (in date), appropriate, and proportionate to the risk level of the work being undertaken.
  • A process exists to deliver ongoing training to maintain competence.

[5] Individual qualifications and experience

• The SSIP member is to verify that the supplier employs individuals with the relevant skills, knowledge and experience for the activities they have selected to be assessed against.
• The level and type of evidence required will be proportionate and dependent on a number of factors, including industry sectors serviced and the activities selected. Each SSIP member will hold criteria on the need for specific evidence i.e. type of qualifications, industry body memberships or alternative experience criteria.
• The same standard of information will be required for both directly employed personnel and those that may be used on a labour only subcontracted basis.

[6] Monitoring, audit and review

• The SSIP member will verify how the supplier proactively checks reviews and where necessary improve the H&S performance of their organisation.
• The level and type of evidence required will be proportionate to the size of organisation, industry sectors serviced and the activities selected.

[7] Workforce involvement

• The SSIP member will verify how the supplier meets their legal duties to consult with their workforce on health and safety matters

[8] Accident reporting and enforcement action; follow up investigation

• The SSIP member will require the supplier to provide a breakdown of simple health and safety statistics for accidents and incidents recorded under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Including the number of fatalities, specified injuries, over 7-day injuries and reportable cases of ill health that have occurred over the previous 3 years.
• If any accident or incidents had been recorded, the supplier must provide a summary of the last two accidents / incidents and details of the action taken to prevent reoccurrence.
  Note: Records should include any incidents that occurred whilst the company traded under a different name, and any incidents that occur to direct employees or sub-contractors.
  Note: Suppliers based in the Republic of Ireland will need to provide data as required by the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2016 as amended

• The SSIP member will require the supplier to provide a breakdown of any HSE prosecutions or enforcement taken over the previous 5 years. The supplier will be required to provide information on the corrective action taken to put matters right.
• All member schemes will verify your response against the HSE Register of Convictions and Enforcement Notices to include any names under which the Company was known i.e. due to change of Company Name.
• Where a supplier is based, or works, in the Republic of Ireland the supplier is to provide a breakdown of any HSA prosecutions or enforcement taken over the previous 5 years. The supplier will be required to provide information on the corrective action taken to put matters right.

[9] Sub-contracting /consulting procedures (if applicable)

• The SSIP member will verify whether or not the supplier appoints bona-fide contractors / consultants to work alongside them or work on behalf of them.
• If a supplier does utilise the services of sub-contractors or consultants, the SSIP member will assess the suitability of the appointment criteria used by the supplier to ensure the sub-contractor / consultant has the suitable organisational capability
• The supplier will also be required to evidence how they monitor the health and safety performance of the sub-contractor / consultant
• Where a supplier allows a sub-contractor / consultant to further sub-contract out work to an additional subcontractor, the SSIP member will be required to assess how that process is managed and monitored.

[10] Risk assessment leading to a safe system of work

• The SSIP member will require a supplier to provide evidence of documented procedures that cover:
  • The identification of hazards, including occupational health issues and the completion of risk assessments
  • The development and implementation of safe systems of work (method statements)
• The supplier will be required to provide examples of the following documents for the work categories selected for assessment:
  • Site or project specific risk assessments that have been created for a project within the last 12months
  • Site or project specific safe systems of work or method statements for a project within the last 12 months (where applicable)
  • COSHH assessments/chemical agents risk assessment for any chemicals or hazardous substance they use as part of their service offering (where applicable)
• If a supplier employing 4 or less personnel and does not have written arrangements, they should be able to describe how they identify hazards and complete risk assessments / safe systems of work.
• Suppliers working in the construction sector and taking on the CDM roles of principal contractor or the sole contractor on site will be required to provide an example of a construction phase plan for project undertaken in the previous 12 months.
• The construction phase plan should be:
  • Proportionate to the size and nature of the work and the risks involved
  • Workable and realistic
  • Sufficiently developed to allow work to start onsite
  • Regularly reviewed and added to as new trades start
• The SSIP member will determine a sensible approach for new start-ups, who may have not completed a full project prior to starting an approval process. This may be via example documents showing the capability to highlight hazards and manage risk appropriately for the types of work they undertake.

[11] Co-operating with others and co-ordinating your work with that of other parties

• The SSIP Member will require the Supplier to demonstrate effective systems and procedures for co-operation and co-ordination with other project duty holders.

[12] Welfare provision

• The SSIP member will require the supplier to evidence the arrangements they have in place to ensure suitable and sufficient welfare facilities are provided to all their workforce
• Suppliers undertaking the role Principal Contractor role must evidence the arrangement they have in place to ensure suitable welfare facilities are provided from the start of the construction phase that complies with the requirements of Schedule 2 of the CDM Regulations 2015.

[13] Hazard elimination and risk control (Designers & Principal Designers only)

• The SSIP member is to verify that the supplier is able to evidence how they meet the following duties on Designers under CDM 2015:
  • How the designer ensures the client is aware of their legal duties
  • The arrangements the designer has in place to take into account the general principles of prevention to eliminate, as far as is reasonably practicable, foreseeable risks to the H&S of any person or, if not possible to eliminate, to reduce or control the risks when preparing or modifying designs.
  • The level of detail required in passing on information about risks should be proportionate to the risks involved.
  • The arrangements the designer has in place to provide information to other CDM Dutyholders using or implementing the design

[14] Principal Designer duties (Principal Designers only)

• The SSIP member is to verify that the supplier is able to evidence how they meet the following duties on Principal Designers under CDM 2015:
  • The arrangements the PD has in place to assist a client in the provision of pre-construction information and providing the information to every designer and contractor appointed to a project
  • The arrangements the PD has in place to ensure that designers carry out their duties, and that all duty holders cooperate with each other in the pre-construction phase.
  • The arrangements the PD has in place to take account of the general principles of prevention and identify, eliminate or control foreseeable health and safety risks from all designs
  • The arrangements the PD has in place to liaise with the Principal Contractor in order to share information on the planning, management and monitoring of the construction phase and the co-ordination of H&S matters during the construction phase
  • The arrangements the PD has in place to prepare, review, update and revise the H&S file as a construction project progresses and handing over the file to a client at the end of the project

[15] Principal Contractor duties (Principal Contractor only)

• The SSIP member is to verify that the supplier is able to evidence how they meet the following duties on Principal Contractor under CDM 2015:
  • The arrangements the PC has in place to ensure all workers receive a suitable site induction
  • The arrangements the PC has in place to provide the Principal Designer with information for the H&S file.
  • The arrangements the PC has in place to ensure that building fire safety information is handed over to the Responsible Person(s) no later than the date of completion of the work, or the date of occupation of the building, whichever is earliest.
  • The arrangements the PC has in place to ensure a site-specific emergency plan is in place prior to the commencement of works.
  • The arrangements the PC has in place to ensure that the Client is aware of their duties before commencing work.

[16]  Fleet Operations

• The SSIP member will verify whether the supplier holds membership of any fleet operations / management scheme
  (Response Advisory – holding membership is not a mandatory requirement).

Last updated 24.02.2026