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By the Workplace Safety Group teamQuick answer: PAS 91 is a standard set of pre-qualification questions for construction. It goes beyond health and safety to cover areas such as environmental management, quality and equality. The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) is the industry's more detailed pre-qualification standard, used by many larger and public sector clients. Reaching a PAS 91-level or CAS-level accreditation tells those clients you're ready for their contracts.
Why it matters: bigger contracts
SSIP gets you through the health and safety gate. Larger main contractors and public sector buyers often want to see more before they let you tender. That includes how you manage the environment, quality, equality, your finances and your supply chain. A PAS 91 or CAS-level accreditation answers those questions once, so you can stop filling in a new questionnaire for every bid and start winning bigger work.
The ladder: SSIP → PAS 91 level → CAS
| Level | What it covers | Scheme levels at this level |
|---|---|---|
| SSIP | Health and safety (SSIP Core Criteria) | CHAS Standard, SMAS Worksafe, SafeContractor Health & Safety, PQS, Constructionline Bronze (Once For All H&S) |
| PAS 91 level | Health and safety plus the standard pre-qualification questions (e.g. environmental, quality, equality) | CHAS Advanced, SMAS Worksafe Plus, Constructionline Silver |
| CAS | The Common Assessment Standard: a broader, more detailed assessment of how you run your business | CHAS Elite, SMAS Worksafe Pro, Constructionline Gold |
If you already hold a valid SSIP assessment that's visible on the SSIP Portal, it can count towards the health and safety section of PAS 91 and CAS. You won't have to prove your health and safety twice.
Which level do you need?
- Your client named a level: go for exactly that (e.g. "CHAS Elite" or "Constructionline Gold").
- Your client asks for "CAS" or "Common Assessment Standard": choose a CAS-level option from a scheme your client recognises.
- Your client asks for "PAS 91": a PAS 91-level option such as CHAS Advanced, SMAS Worksafe Plus or Constructionline Silver.
- Public sector tenders: check the tender documents. Many ask for CAS-level accreditation.
How WSG helps you reach PAS 91 and CAS levels
SafeGuard Pro Max (£2,395 +VAT a year, or £995 setup + £170 a month +VAT, 12-month minimum) is built for firms going after bigger contracts:
- PQS accreditation at SSIP level, with the membership fee paid
- Support with any PAS 91 or CAS scheme, such as CHAS Elite, SMAS Worksafe Plus or Constructionline Silver or Gold (that scheme's fee is paid separately)
- Competent health and safety advice on call, and your paperwork produced for you
- Your evidence kept up all year, so you're ready whenever a client checks
Prefer standalone help for one scheme? CHAS Advanced, SMAS Worksafe Plus and Constructionline Silver are available from £595 +VAT, and CHAS Elite and SMAS Worksafe Pro from £795 +VAT. See each scheme page for instant quotes.
FAQs
PAS stands for Publicly Available Specification. PAS 91 sets out standard pre-qualification questions for construction procurement.
Many schemes now describe their PAS 91-level option in their own terms, such as SMAS's "Smas Standard", and many clients now ask for the Common Assessment Standard instead. Check which your client asks for, and we'll match the right scheme level.
CAS is the construction industry's common pre-qualification standard. It assesses a broad range of areas beyond health and safety, so one accreditation can satisfy many clients.
They work together. SSIP covers health and safety. CAS goes further and covers how you run your business more widely. A valid SSIP assessment can count towards the health and safety section.
Yes. Pro Max gives you support with PAS 91 and CAS schemes, such as CHAS Elite and Constructionline Gold. The scheme's own membership fee is paid separately. Constructionline Gold support is available only through Pro Max, because it needs evidence kept up all year.
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