Compliance5 min read
Site safety paperwork for small contractors: what main contractors will ask for
The Construction Regulations documents that clients and principal contractors must check before you start, and how to have them ready.
- Updated
- 18 Oct 2026
- Facts checked
- 18 Oct 2026
- Sources
- 3 listed
In short
If you read nothing else.
- 01
Under the Construction Regulations 2014, clients and principal contractors must check contractors before work starts.
- 02
Expect to be asked for a Compensation Fund Letter of Good Standing, an H&S plan and a written appointment.
- 03
Keep a health and safety file for each site and hand it over at the end.
In this guide4 sections +
If you work as a subcontractor for a builder, or as the principal contractor for a client, safety paperwork is part of getting on site. It is not optional for the people who appoint you, so it should not be a surprise to you either.
What the client must do
- Prepare a baseline risk assessment and a site-specific health and safety specification, and include it in the tender.
- Check that the principal contractor is competent, has the resources to do the work safely, and is in good standing with the Compensation Fund.
- Approve the principal contractor's health and safety plan, and audit it at least every 30 days.
What the principal contractor must do
- Prepare a health and safety plan based on the client's specification.
- Open and keep a health and safety file on site.
- Appoint subcontractors in writing and check that each one is in good standing with the Compensation Fund.
- Audit subcontractors at least every 30 days, and hand a consolidated file to the client at completion.
What to have ready as a subcontractor
- A current Compensation Fund Letter of Good Standing.
- Your own health and safety plan for the work you do, and a file for each site.
- Proof of competence for anyone doing specialised or high-risk work.
- A written appointment from the principal contractor.
Notifications and permits
A contractor must notify the provincial Department of Employment and Labour office at least 7 days before starting work that involves excavation, work at height where there is a risk of falling, demolition, or explosives. Large projects need a construction work permit, applied for by the client. Under the phase-in currently published, a permit applies to work longer than 365 days and over 3,600 person-days, or work at CIDB grade 7 and above.
Sources
- 01Construction Regulations 2014 (GN R84, Government Gazette 37305)
- 02Notice 850 of 2018: construction work permit phase-in
- 03COIDA employer service guide, Department of Employment and Labour
Sources checked 18 Oct 2026. Rules and thresholds change; confirm before you rely on them.
General information, not advice. This guide explains the general position for South African businesses. It is not tax, legal or accounting advice. For your specific situation, speak to your accountant, registered tax practitioner or attorney.