CHAS vs SMAS Worksafe: Cost, Assessment and Which One Contractors Accept

Last reviewed: 24/08/2026

If a main contractor has told you to "get SSIP sorted before we set foot on site", the CHAS vs SMAS Worksafe decision is usually the one you're actually making — two SSIP member schemes, two very different price tags, and the same 12-month certificate at the end of it. This page puts the published figures side by side, then covers the bit neither pricing page flags: what happens when you outgrow plain SSIP and need the Common Assessment Standard.

TL;DR: is CHAS or SMAS Worksafe cheaper for SSIP?

Smas Worksafe is the cheaper entry point on published prices: Smas lists its Worksafe SSIP certificate from £345, while the cheapest CHAS membership (CHAS Standard) is listed from £429 per year. Both are SSIP registered member schemes assessing you against the same HSE-approved core criteria, so a certificate from either should satisfy a buyer asking for "SSIP" — the Health and Safety Executive is explicit that a supplier should only need assessing against one member scheme. The real split appears higher up: for the Common Assessment Standard, Build UK's Recognised Assessment Body list shows Smas Worksafe Pro offering desktop certification only, while CHAS Elite offers both desktop and site-based. So: pick on price if you only need SSIP, and pick on scope if a client is heading towards a site-based CAS audit.

Are CHAS and SMAS Worksafe the same thing?

CHAS (now branded Veriforce CHAS) and Smas Worksafe are both SSIP registered member schemes, which means both assess contractors against the SSIP core criteria approved by the HSE and both list you on the SSIP portal once you pass. According to HSE guidance on health and safety conformity assessment schemes, a buyer does not need evidence of assessment against more than one SSIP member scheme, and a supplier should only need to be assessed against one — because your valid assessment is visible to buyers on the SSIP portal.

The difference is the product ladder each scheme sells on top of the health and safety assessment. CHAS sells three membership levels — Standard, Advanced and Elite — where Elite is its Common Assessment Standard product. Smas sells Worksafe (SSIP), Worksafe Plus (SSIP plus the Smas Standard, based on the withdrawn PAS 91, with optional ESG and Building Safety Act modules) and Worksafe Pro, its Common Assessment Standard product. Same bottom rung, different rungs above it.

What do CHAS and SMAS Worksafe cost in 2026?

These are the published "from" figures on each scheme's own site, checked on 24/08/2026. Both schemes price on headcount, so a 12-engineer firm will pay more than the from-price — treat these as the floor, not the quote.

On headline SSIP price alone, Smas Worksafe undercuts CHAS Standard by roughly £84 at the entry point. That's real money, but it's one tank of diesel — small enough that it should not be the only thing driving the decision if a specific client is involved. For a wider price-first view across every scheme, see our cheapest SSIP scheme comparison and our breakdown of what CHAS actually costs.

Worked example: a 12-engineer firm asked for both

Say Mick runs a 12-engineer mechanical and electrical firm. His biggest housebuilder client insists on Smas Worksafe. A facilities management client he's chasing for a £5k-a-year maintenance contract insists on CHAS. He needs to show both badges.

The expensive route is buying two full assessments: two sets of evidence, two portals, two renewal dates. The cheap route uses mutual recognition. He buys one full assessment, then applies for a Deem to Satisfy certificate with the second scheme. As SSIP explains its Deem to Satisfy route, a certificate from one registered member can be used to apply for DtS with any other registered member, and the second scheme recognises the existing assessment rather than re-running it.

On published figures, buying CHAS Standard first (from £429) and then a Smas Deem to Satisfy certificate (from £200) totals from £629. Going the other way — full Smas Worksafe from £345 plus a CHAS DtS — should come out lower, but CHAS does not publish a DtS price, so that leg needs a quote. TODO(verify) CHAS Deem to Satisfy fee.

Which one do main contractors actually accept?

For plain health and safety pre-qualification, both. Every SSIP registered member scheme recognises the others, and if a buyer insists on their preferred scheme, the DtS route exists precisely so you don't sit a second full assessment. Our guides on SSIP mutual recognition and what mutual recognition does not cover go deeper on where that promise stops.

Where the two schemes genuinely differ is the Common Assessment Standard. Build UK's Common Assessment Standard page lists the Recognised Assessment Bodies and the certification levels each one offers. As at 24/08/2026 that table shows Smas Worksafe offering Worksafe Pro for desktop certification and not applicable for site-based, while Veriforce CHAS offers CHAS Elite (CAS) for desktop and CHAS Elite (CAS) Assured for site-based. Build UK also notes that companies certified by one Recognised Assessment Body can share their CAS data with the others, and that Version 6 of the question set is due on 01/11/2026.

That site-based gap is the one thing worth paying more for — but only if it applies to you. Build UK says companies pick the certification level appropriate to their business based on trade, size and client requirements, and most small subcontractors are on the desktop route. If nobody has mentioned a site audit, the desktop level is what you need.

What does each assessment actually ask you to produce?

Smas states that its SSIP assessment follows the core criteria but condenses them into ten questions covering risk assessments, method statements, training and qualifications, with in-house assessors reviewing your evidence. CHAS runs its assessments through the VeriforceONE portal, where you upload documents and policies module by module — one health and safety module at Standard, and up to 13 risk-management areas at Elite.

In practice the evidence pile is the same either way: a health and safety policy with named responsibilities, RAMS, a training matrix, insurance certificates, accident records, subcontractor vetting and competent advice arrangements. That's why the second scheme is always cheaper than the first — the work is in assembling the folder, not in the questions. Our CHAS documents checklist lists what to have ready, and SMAS Worksafe explained walks through the Smas side.

On speed, Smas says it aims to certify applicants in 1–10 days with the certificate issued 3–5 days after a pass, and CHAS says an initial assessment can be completed within two working days via its CHAS Assist support. SSIP's own guidance is that schemes typically try to complete an initial assessment within ten working days. Either way, the clock only starts when your evidence is in — so if a tender deadline is looming, the bottleneck is your kitchen table, not their assessor.

How should a small subcontractor choose?

1. 1
   Ask the client which scheme, in writing. If they'll accept "any SSIP", you're free to buy on price. If they name one, that's your answer for at least this year.
2. 2
   Get both quotes on your real headcount. Published from-prices assume the smallest band. Ask for first-year total and renewal cost separately.
3. 3
   Check whether the Common Assessment Standard is coming. Public sector buyers are pointed to CAS under PPN 03/24, and if a site-based audit is on the cards, that narrows your choice of assessment body.
4. 4
   Buy one full assessment, then Deem to Satisfy the second. Never pay for two full health and safety assessments in the same year.

TradeComply tracks exactly the residual admin this leaves behind — renewal dates that drift apart, the same policy PDF re-uploaded to a second portal, and the tiers mutual recognition doesn't cover. It's £9.90 a month; the guides stay free either way. If you're still deciding how many badges you need at all, start with do I need more than one accreditation or the SSIP hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SMAS Worksafe cheaper than CHAS?

On published entry prices, yes. Smas lists its Worksafe SSIP certificate from £345 and CHAS lists its cheapest membership, CHAS Standard, from £429 per year, both checked on 24/08/2026. Both scale with employee numbers, so get a quote on your actual headcount before assuming the gap holds for your business.

Will a main contractor accept SMAS Worksafe instead of CHAS?

For health and safety pre-qualification it should. HSE guidance states that a buyer does not need evidence of assessment against more than one SSIP member scheme, and both CHAS and Smas Worksafe are SSIP member schemes. If a buyer insists on their preferred scheme anyway, you can apply to that scheme via Deem to Satisfy rather than sitting a second full assessment.

Can I hold both CHAS and SMAS Worksafe at the same time?

Yes. The usual route is one full assessment plus a Deem to Satisfy certificate from the other scheme. Smas publishes DtS from £200 and states the DtS certificate lasts only as long as your existing full SSIP certificate, so plan the two renewal dates together.

Does SMAS Worksafe cover the Common Assessment Standard?

Yes, at desktop level. Build UK's Recognised Assessment Body table lists Smas Worksafe Pro for desktop Common Assessment Standard certification and shows no site-based option, while CHAS Elite (CAS) is listed for both desktop and site-based. Check the Build UK list before committing if a client has specified a site-based audit.

How long does SSIP certification with either scheme last?

Twelve months with both. Smas states its Worksafe certificate is valid for 12 months and CHAS memberships are annual, and Build UK notes Common Assessment Standard certification is also renewed once a year. Anything you buy here is a recurring cost, not a one-off.