What is a CHAS Accreditation? Complete UK guide

CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) is a UK Health & Safety accreditation that demonstrates a company meets their required safety standards. Accreditation helps contractors win work, particularly in construction and facilities management, by proving compliance to clients. CHAS is part of the Common Assessment Standard, meaning one assessment can unlock access to multiple accreditation schemes.

If you’re a contractor or sub-contractor in the UK, you’ve probably come across CHAS at some point, whether a client has asked for it, or you’ve spotted it on a tender requirement. But what does it actually involve, how much does it cost, and crucially, is it worth it?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, including how CHAS compares to other schemes, what documents you’ll need, and how to get started.

What does CHAS stand for?

CHAS stands for Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme. It’s a Health & Safety accreditation awarded to companies that can demonstrate their safety processes meet the required standard, assessed by qualified Health & Safety professionals who review your documentation without needing to visit your site.

Founded in 1997, CHAS is one of the UK’s most established and widely recognised accreditation schemes. Today it has over 60,000 accredited contractors and is recognised by more than 500 buyers, including local authorities, NHS trusts, universities, and large private sector clients.

CHAS is also a founding member of SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement), the umbrella body that oversees a range of Health & Safety assessment schemes and makes sure that they mutually recognise each other.

Benefits of CHAS accreditation

So why bother? Here’s why thousands of UK contractors choose to get CHAS accredited every year.

• Win more contracts
  Many public sector and large private sector clients require CHAS (or an equivalent SSIP accreditation) before they consider a contractor for work. Having it removes a barrier and keeps you in the running.
• Pre-qualify for tenders
  CHAS acts as a pre-qualification tick, so clients don’t need to assess your Health & Safety credentials from scratch every time.
• Demonstrate compliance
  Accreditation shows clients, insurers, and regulators that your Health & Safety documentation is in order and meets legal requirements.
• Reduce assessment duplication
  Because CHAS is part of the SSIP mutual recognition scheme, achieving it means other SSIP member schemes will recognise your accreditation too, saving you time and money on multiple assessments.
• Build credibility and trust
  Being assessed and approved by a recognised third party carries real weight, especially when you’re competing for contracts against other businesses.

CHAS vs other accreditation schemes

CHAS is one of several SSIP member schemes available to UK businesses. They all share a common baseline standard, but each has a slightly different focus, cost, and target audience. Here’s how the main ones compare.

Scheme	Best for	Focus area	Approx. cost
CHAS	General contractors	Health & Safety	From £199/year
SafeContractor	Service providers	H&S + environment	From £380/year
Constructionline	Construction	H&S + financial	From £175/year
Acclaim	All industries	H&S compliance	From £199/year
SMAS	Smaller contractors	H&S basics	From £162/year

All of the above are SSIP members, which means they mutually recognise each other’s assessments. If you’re already accredited with one scheme, you may be able to transfer to another without going through the full assessment again.

Note: Costs are approximate and subject to change. Always check directly with the scheme for the latest pricing.

How do I get CHAS accredited?

The process is straightforward, and you can do it all online. Here’s what to expect.

1. Register online at CHAS.co.uk — choose the package that best matches your business size and scope of work.
2. Complete the questionnaire — answer questions about your Health & Safety policies, processes, and procedures.
3. Upload supporting documents — submit the evidence needed to back up your answers (see the full list below).
4. Assessor review — a qualified Health & Safety professional reviews your application.
5. Address any gaps — if the assessor has questions or needs additional information, you’ll be contacted to provide it.
6. Receive your accreditation — once approved, you’ll receive your CHAS certificate.

The typical timeline from application to accreditation is two to six weeks, depending on how quickly you can supply any additional information requested.

One important thing to be aware of is that an estimated 80% of contractors don’t pass first time, most often due to gaps in their Health & Safety training evidence. Making sure your training records are current and complete before you apply is one of the best things you can do to improve your chances.

Documents needed for CHAS

Before you apply, it’s worth getting your paperwork in order. You’ll typically need to provide:

• Your Health & Safety policy (signed and dated)
• Risk assessments relevant to your work activities
• Method statements (if applicable to your type of work)
• Training records for all relevant employees
• Insurance certificates (employers’ liability and public liability)
• Accident and incident records

The more complete and up to date these documents are, the smoother your application will go.

Would iHasco training certificates be accepted?

Yes! iHasco certificates can be submitted as evidence of Health & Safety training for your CHAS application. They’re CPD accredited, printable, and can be renewed annually to show that your team’s training is kept current, which is exactly what assessors want to see.

FAQs

Is CHAS a legal requirement?

No, CHAS itself is not a legal requirement. However, many clients, particularly in the public sector, make it a contractual requirement for contractors they work with. And because achieving CHAS requires you to have proper Health & Safety documentation in place, the process of getting accredited can help make sure that you’re meeting your legal obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

How long does CHAS last?

CHAS accreditation is valid for 12 months. You’ll need to renew it annually to maintain your accredited status and keep it visible on the CHAS database, which is what clients use to verify contractor credentials.

Can I transfer from another scheme?

Yes. Because CHAS is part of the SSIP mutual recognition framework, if you’re already accredited with another SSIP member scheme (such as SafeContractor or Constructionline), you may be able to transfer to CHAS without repeating the full assessment. It’s worth checking directly with CHAS to confirm what’s required based on your current accreditation.

What’s the Common Assessment Standard?

The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) is a single, consistent set of assessment criteria developed to reduce duplication across procurement processes. It’s supported by the main construction industry bodies in the UK. CHAS offers CAS assessment, which means a single assessment can satisfy the prequalification requirements of multiple buyers and schemes, saving contractors significant time and cost.

Get CHAS-ready with iHasco

One of the most common reasons contractors fail their CHAS application first time around is incomplete training records. Our wide range of CPD accredited Health & Safety training courses give your team the knowledge they need and provide the documented evidence that CHAS assessors are looking for.

From Fire Safety and Manual Handling to Asbestos Awareness and CDM Regulations, our certificates are widely accepted as evidence of compliance and are easy to manage and renew through our online LMS.

Get in touch with us today to find out more, or start your free trial and explore our full Health & Safety course library.