Guide

What is CHAS accreditation?

If a main contractor or council has just told you that you need CHAS before you can quote, this page explains what you are actually being asked for.

CHAS in one paragraph

CHAS, the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme, is an assessment that checks whether your business manages health and safety properly. You submit your policies, risk assessments, training records and insurance evidence, an assessor reviews them, and if they meet the standard you receive a certificate and a listing on the scheme database. Buyers use that certificate as proof that you are safe to hire without running their own vetting.

Why buyers ask for it

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, anyone appointing a contractor must take reasonable steps to check they are competent. Checking every subcontractor individually is slow, so buyers outsource it: hold a current CHAS certificate, or an equivalent SSIP certificate, and you have pre-qualified. No certificate usually means no place on the tender list, whatever your actual safety record.

Is CHAS a legal requirement?

No. There is no law that says a contractor must hold CHAS. The legal duties sit underneath it: you must have a written health and safety policy if you employ five or more people, you must assess risks, and you must provide training and equipment. CHAS is the commercial proof that you do those things. In practice, for anyone subcontracting to larger firms or public bodies, it works like a requirement.

What the assessment covers

A CHAS Standard assessment reviews your health and safety policy, your risk assessments and method statements for the work you actually do, how you train your people and check their competence, your accident and incident records, your insurance, and how you manage subcontractors if you use them. Higher packages add wider governance areas aligned to the Common Assessment Standard. Everything is reviewed against the size and trade of your business: a two-person electrical firm is not judged like a national contractor.

How long it takes and what it costs

The assessment itself is typically turned around in days once you submit, but the whole process usually takes two to four weeks including any referrals back for more information. Fees depend on the number of employees and the package you choose, and you pay them directly to the scheme; check the current fee table on the scheme website before you apply. The bigger cost for most small firms is time: pulling together documents you have never needed in writing before. That is the part our packs remove.

The fastest route through

Have every document ready before you start the application. Assessors refer applications back when paperwork is missing or generic, and each referral loop costs you days. Our CHAS document checklist lists everything to prepare, and the electrician CHAS pack contains the full set pre-written for electrical work.

Common questions

What does CHAS stand for?

CHAS stands for the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme. It is one of the UK’s largest SSIP assessment schemes, now operated by Veriforce CHAS.

Do I legally need CHAS?

No. CHAS is not a legal requirement. It is a commercial one: many main contractors, councils and housing associations will not let you tender or quote without a current SSIP certificate such as CHAS.

How long does CHAS last?

A CHAS certificate is valid for 12 months and must be renewed with an updated assessment each year.