How to become accredited

To become an Operate Safe Accredited Contractor you will need to complete three stages as follows.

Stage 1 - should be completed within 3-4 months of registering

Make sure all your on-site employees hold Induction Cards (Red cards). They must be inducted using the Self Regulation Company Induction Form checklist (may be downloaded by clicking here). NB This also includes employees first obtaining a Site Safe Civil Passport, for which training courses must be booked.

= Register with ACC to seek Secondary Accreditation if you don't already have it.

= Achieve a successful internal audit to the ACC Self Assessment Guide and the Industry Best Practice Guide.

= Check your company's actual ACC claims and entitlement claims for the last full financial year and complete all sections of the Registration Form. Then click on SUBMIT to automatically upload the form, or post it to PO Box 12-412, Wellington).

= Advise Operate Safe that your organisation has completed Stage One using this form.

= Operate Safe Accreditation Board issues Stage 1 Certificate.

Stage 2 - should be completed within 12 months of completing Stage 1.

= Ensure all appropriate employees - that is, those who work on their own, or lead small work teams, or who operate machinery - are assessed as being competent to Bronze Card level (usually within 12 months of obtaining their Red Cards) at the following levels:

By 1st July 2009 - 35% of site staff. By 1st July 2010 - 50% of site staff. By 1st July 2011 - 70% of site staff. Additionally all members must report that they have successfully trained all their sub operatives in the current Operate Safe Update Course every two years.

= Contractors to achieve ACC Secondary Accreditation or higher.

= Advise Operate Safe that your organisation has completed Stage 2, using this form.

= Operate Safe Accreditation Board issues Stage 2 Certificate.

Stage 3 - completion date to be negotiated

= Ensure appropriate employees - that is, those at operational management level, e.g. supervisors, engineers, site managers, contract managers - are assessed as being competent to Silver Card level (having already obtained their Red and Bronze cards). A Gold Card, which will be required by senior/management level staff with H&S responsibilities, is still under development.

= Have work plans in place to improve Health & Safety if company's key performance indicators (KPIs) are below the industry average.

= Advise Operate Safe that your organisation has completed Stage 3, using this form.

= Accreditation Board issues Operate Safe Accredited Contractor Certificate (expiry date dependent on next ACC audit).