PQQ Health and Safety Requirements Explained

If you've ever bid for a commercial contract and hit a wall of health and safety questions, you've encountered a PQQ. Pre-Qualification Questionnaires are the standard way that clients, principal contractors and public-sector buyers assess whether a supplier is competent before inviting them to tender. Getting the health and safety section right is often the deciding factor — not because buyers want to catch you out, but because they have genuine legal obligations to check competence before appointing contractors.

This article walks through exactly what PQQ health and safety requirements typically cover, why they exist, and how to answer them convincingly.

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What Is a PQQ and Why Does Health and Safety Feature So Heavily?

A PQQ (sometimes called a Selection Questionnaire or SQ in public procurement) is a structured assessment of a supplier's suitability. Health and safety dominates because:

• Clients and principal contractors have duties under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to ensure that contractors they appoint are competent.
• Under CDM 2015, principal designers and principal contractors must satisfy themselves that dutyholders have the skills, knowledge, experience and — for organisations — the organisational capability to carry out their role safely.
• A negligent appointment can expose a client to civil and regulatory liability if something goes wrong.

In short, the PQQ health and safety section exists because the law requires the buyer to check, not merely because it is good practice.

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What PQQ Health and Safety Sections Typically Ask For

While every PQQ differs, the following themes appear consistently:

1. Policy and Management System

Buyers almost always ask for your written health and safety policy. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 s.2(3), you must have a written policy if you employ five or more people. Sole traders and micro-businesses should still have a statement of intent, as its absence reads as a red flag.

2. Accident and Incident Statistics

Expect to provide your RIDDOR reportable incidents, near-misses and enforcement notices over the past three years. High rates are not automatically disqualifying — buyers look for trend direction and, crucially, what you did about them. A spike with no corrective action is far more damaging than a modest number with a strong investigation and improvement response.

3. Enforcement History

You will generally be asked to declare any HSE or local authority improvement notices, prohibition notices or prosecutions. Declare honestly; buyers cross-reference, and non-disclosure is a ground for disqualification.

4. Risk Assessment and Method Statement Capability

Most buyers ask how you produce and manage risk assessments and method statements (a RAMS is both documents together). Be ready to submit example RAMS relevant to your trade. Under Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 reg 3, suitable and sufficient risk assessments are a legal requirement — your PQQ answer should demonstrate this is a live process, not a filing exercise.

5. Competence and Training Records

Evidence of trade-specific training, CSCS cards, IPAF/PASMA licences, first aid provision, and toolbox talk records all demonstrate a functioning competence management system. For work at height specifically, competence is a direct requirement of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

6. Subcontractor Management

If you use subcontractors, buyers will want to know how you assess and monitor their health and safety performance. A brief written procedure — even a single-page process — demonstrates you manage the supply chain, not just your direct employees.

7. Insurance

Public liability (typically a minimum of £2 million, often £5 million or £10 million for larger contracts) and employers' liability (legally required at £5 million minimum under the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969) will be verified. Check your limits match the contract requirement before submitting.

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How to Present Your Health and Safety Evidence Well

A few practical points that make a real difference:

• Answer the question asked. Attaching a 40-page safety manual when asked for your policy statement wastes an assessor's time. Be targeted.
• Use version-controlled, dated documents. Undated policies or risk assessments from five years ago suggest a static system rather than an active one.
• Reference legal frameworks accurately. Mentioning the correct regulations (without overclaiming) demonstrates genuine understanding, not just box-ticking.
• Show continuous improvement. Where you have had incidents or enforcement, describe the action taken. Assessors are looking for a learning culture.
• Keep example RAMS trade-specific and realistic. Generic, clearly downloaded templates are spotted immediately and undermine confidence in your competence.

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A Note on Accreditations

Schemes such as CHAS, Constructionline Gold, SafeContractor and SMAS conduct third-party health and safety assessments that many buyers accept in lieu of a full PQQ health and safety section. They do not replace your legal obligations — they provide independent evidence you are meeting them. If you tender regularly, membership of one or more schemes typically reduces the administrative burden significantly.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

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The Practical Takeaway

PQQ health and safety requirements are not arbitrary bureaucracy. They map directly onto legal duties that both you and your client carry. The contractors who answer them well are those who actually manage health and safety day-to-day — because the documentation then writes itself. If the evidence is hard to pull together, that is usually a signal that the underlying systems need attention, not just the paperwork.