Health and safety policy
Do you have a health and safety policy signed by a director and reviewed in the last 12 months?
Fewer than 5 employees: a written statement can be enough.
Check director approval, named responsibilities and the last review date.
Risk assessments and safe systems of work
Do you have risk assessments and method statements for the work you actually do?
Generic templates that don't match your activities are likely to be queried.
Including a sample construction phase plan?
Gather activity-specific risk assessments, method statements and evidence they are briefed and used.
Competent advice
Can you name your source of health and safety advice and give two examples from the last 12 months of advice given and action taken?
Keep the adviser's competence details alongside dated examples of advice and follow-up.
Identify the competent adviser and two recent examples of advice and action taken.
Training and competence
Do you have training and induction records for your workforce, including any legally required training?
Include current competence, inductions and training relevant to the actual work.
Check current induction, toolbox talk and required training records for your workforce.
Monitoring, audit and review
Do you have records of recent inspections, audits or reviews of your health and safety performance?
Dated inspections or audits should show what was found and what happened next.
Gather recent site inspections, audits and records of action taken.
Workforce consultation
Do you have evidence from the last 12 months of how you involve your workforce in health and safety?
Fewer than 5 employees: you can describe how you consult.
Find consultation records, named representatives or a clear account of how workers are involved.
Accidents and incidents
Do you record accidents, incidents and near misses, with the action taken afterwards?
Records should demonstrate investigation and follow-up where appropriate.
Check accident and incident records, investigations and corrective action evidence.
Subcontractors
Do you check and monitor your subcontractors' competence, with records to show it?
Show how subcontractors are selected, assessed and monitored.
Prepare your competence-check procedure and examples of completed subcontractor reviews.
Occupational health
Do you have arrangements for occupational health, including mental health and fatigue?
Include health surveillance where relevant to your work.
Review occupational health arrangements, fatigue controls and relevant health surveillance.
Environmental
Do you have an environmental policy and arrangements, such as waste records and a waste carrier licence if you carry waste?
Environmental evidence should reflect the impacts of your actual activities.
Review the environmental policy, waste records and any required waste carrier registration.
Quality
Do you have a quality policy and records of how you deal with problems and complaints?
Keep evidence of non-conformances, complaints and corrective action.
Gather quality arrangements and recent examples of managing defects or complaints.
Governance policies
Do you have anti-bribery, whistleblowing, modern slavery and equality policies, each signed and reviewed in the last 12 months?
Policies should be approved, current and appropriate to your business.
Check that governance policies are approved, relevant and reviewed within the last year.
Insurance
Do your insurance certificates show the policy number, limit, excess and expiry date, in your exact company name?
Verify the legal entity name and every required certificate detail.
Obtain certificates or broker evidence showing the legal company name and full policy details.
Subject to your certificate's scope and validity. A site-based audit may still check how you put it into practice.
Likely covered by your certificate
Covered by your certificates
Areas to work on before you apply
You look well prepared. Check your documents against the CHAS documents checklist before you submit.
This checker is general guidance. It shows where your evidence stands, not whether your application will succeed. The assessment decision is made by CHAS.
