What Is SMAS Worksafe? How the SSIP Scheme Works

By TradeComply Editorial Team • Last updated: 1 November 2026

Is SMAS the cheapest SSIP route? Often yes — SSIP certificates start from around £345, which is typically less than CHAS's from-£429 entry price — but confirm your own quote, since sole-trader and tier pricing is quoted through SMAS's online quote tool and the exact figure depends on your trade and turnover.

SMAS (Safety Management Advisory Services) Worksafe is an SSIP-approved health & safety scheme, with SSIP certificates starting from around £345. It does the same core job as CHAS or SafeContractor — proving your health & safety to a main contractor — and it's often positioned as a lower-cost option for smaller firms.

TL;DR: SMAS Worksafe is an SSIP member scheme that assesses contractors' health & safety, with certificates starting from around £345 and valid for 12 months. It offers full SSIP mutual recognition (also called Deem to Satisfy), meaning a valid SMAS Worksafe certificate is accepted by other SSIP schemes and vice versa — so it does the same job as CHAS or SafeContractor, often at a lower cost for small firms. Main contractors who ask for "an SSIP-approved scheme" (rather than naming CHAS specifically) will accept SMAS Worksafe on that basis. That mutual recognition covers the SSIP health & safety core criteria only — it does not extend to Constructionline Gold or the Common Assessment Standard, which SMAS offers separately through its Worksafe Pro package. For a basic SSIP requirement, SMAS Worksafe and CHAS are interchangeable; choose based on which scheme your client names and which quote is cheaper — see the full CHAS vs SMAS Worksafe comparison for a side-by-side breakdown.

What is SMAS Worksafe?

SMAS Worksafe is a member of SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) and is accredited by UKAS to ISO 17020, the highest level of assurance (SMAS SSIP accreditation, checked 05/06/2026). Certificates are valid for 12 months, and because it's an SSIP-approved scheme it offers SSIP mutual recognition (Deem to Satisfy) — so a valid SMAS Worksafe certificate is recognised by other SSIP member schemes, and vice versa.

That mutual recognition gets you out of re-doing the SSIP health & safety core criteria assessment for every scheme a client names. It does not get you Constructionline Gold or the Common Assessment Standard — those sit outside SSIP mutual recognition and are assessed separately, whichever SSIP scheme you hold underneath them (see SSIP mutual recognition explained for the full picture of what's covered and what isn't).

What does the assessment actually check?

SMAS Worksafe assesses against the standard SSIP Core Criteria question set — the same categories every SSIP member scheme uses. You'll typically need to show:

• a written health & safety policy (a formal policy is generally required once you employ five or more people)
• risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) for your typical work
• evidence of employers' and public liability insurance
• accident and incident recording, and any RIDDOR-reportable history
• worker competence — training records, CSCS-type cards, or trade certificates
• evidence of how you manage subcontractors, if you use them

SMAS says its SSIP assessment "follows the 15 Core Criteria points, but condenses everything down into 10 simple questions", and that it only asks the questions you need to answer for the size of your company (SMAS). It doesn't publish how answers are weighted, so confirm the exact question set in your application portal.

Where does SMAS sit among the SSIP schemes?

	SMAS WorksafeSMAS Ltd★ Often cheapest	CHASVeriforce CHAS	SafeContractorAlcumus
SSIP approved	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Entry cost / yr	from ~£345	from £429	TODO(verify)
Deem to Satisfy	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Common Assessment Standard	Worksafe Pro	Elite tier	TODO(verify)
Validity	12 months	12 months	12 months

See CHAS cost and the full CHAS vs SafeContractor vs Constructionline breakdown for SafeContractor's exact pricing and tiers, plus the dedicated CHAS vs SMAS Worksafe guide for a head-to-head on price and turnaround.

All three schemes assess against the same SSIP Core Criteria, so for satisfying a basic SSIP requirement they're equivalent — see the full CHAS vs SafeContractor vs Constructionline comparison, and CHAS cost for the CHAS figures. Choose on price for your size and which badge your clients name — or start from the scheme comparison hub or the SSIP hub for the wider picture.

	SMAS WorksafeSMAS Ltd★ Often cheapest	CHASVeriforce CHAS	Acclaim AccreditationAlcumus
SSIP approved	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Entry cost / yr	from ~£345	from £429	TODO(verify)
SSIP mutual recognition	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Common Assessment Standard	Worksafe Pro	Elite tier	TODO(verify)
Validity	12 months	12 months	12 months

For the full breakdown of fees, renewal cost and turnaround differences, see CHAS vs SMAS Worksafe compared.

Which scheme should I choose for SSIP compliance?

For a basic SSIP requirement they're interchangeable, as both are SSIP-approved. SMAS Worksafe often comes in cheaper for small contractors; CHAS is more widely named by some clients. Check what your client accepts, then pick the cheaper qualifying scheme.

Will a main contractor accept an SMAS certificate?

Usually, yes — as long as the client's requirement is worded as "hold an SSIP-approved health & safety accreditation" rather than naming CHAS specifically. Because SMAS Worksafe is a full SSIP member scheme, SSIP mutual recognition means a valid SMAS certificate satisfies that requirement in exactly the same way a CHAS certificate would. Where a contract or framework names CHAS by brand (rather than "SSIP"), check with the client or the tender documents before assuming SMAS will be accepted — some frameworks do specify a particular scheme.

Does SMAS offer the Common Assessment Standard?

SMAS offers the Common Assessment Standard through its Worksafe Pro package — the broader pre-qualification standard that covers far more than health & safety. As a recognised assessment body, SMAS provides the Common Assessment Standard at the desktop level (the document-based assessment, rather than a site visit). It's mandated for much public-sector work under procurement policy note PPN 03/24. Worksafe Pro is a separate purchase from the base SSIP certificate — holding SMAS Worksafe alone doesn't give you CAS or Constructionline Gold automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SMAS SSIP approved?

Yes. SMAS Worksafe is an SSIP member scheme, accredited by UKAS to ISO 17020, and it offers Deem to Satisfy recognition with other SSIP schemes.

How much does SMAS Worksafe cost, and how long does assessment take?

SMAS publishes SSIP certificates "from around £345", with sole-trader and higher-tier pricing quoted via its online quote tool. The page doesn't state VAT, so confirm your own quote. It's frequently the lower-cost option for small firms. On turnaround, SMAS says it aims to certify applicants "in as little as 1-10 days" and to send your certificate within 3-5 days of passing (SMAS). Treat that as a target and confirm timing with SMAS before relying on it for a live tender.

Do I need SMAS as well as another SSIP scheme?

Usually not. One SSIP-approved scheme covers a basic SSIP requirement, and SMAS Worksafe is one, so you don't need a second certificate unless a client names a different scheme by brand. If you're choosing between SMAS and CHAS specifically, the CHAS vs SMAS Worksafe guide sets out price, assessment and which one main contractors accept side by side.

Does SMAS offer the Common Assessment Standard?

Yes — through its Worksafe Pro package, at the desktop assessment level. You only need it if a client specifically asks for the Common Assessment Standard, and it's a separate purchase and renewal from your base SSIP Worksafe certificate.

Does SMAS mutual recognition cover Constructionline Gold?

No. SMAS Worksafe's Deem to Satisfy recognition covers the SSIP core criteria health & safety assessment only. Constructionline Gold and the Common Assessment Standard sit outside that mutual recognition and are assessed — and renewed — separately, whichever SSIP scheme you hold underneath them.