SSSP & site safety guides

What is an SSSP?

An SSSP (Site-Specific Safety Plan) is the health and safety document a contractor prepares for one specific site. It records the site details, the hazards of the work, the controls in place, the emergency plan and how the contractor works in with the main contractor. Main contractors in New Zealand ask for it before a subcontractor starts.

SSSP requirements under HSWA 2015

Under HSWA 2015, a PCBU must ensure health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable (section 36). A compliant SSSP identifies the site hazards (reg 5), controls them in the hierarchy order in reg 6, plans for emergencies (reg 14), covers overlapping duties (section 34), worker engagement (sections 58 and 59) and notifiable events (sections 56 and 57).

SSSP vs SWMS: what you actually need in New Zealand

In New Zealand the site safety document is the SSSP (Site-Specific Safety Plan), and the per-task document is a task analysis. Some main contractors ask for a "safe work method statement", or SWMS, using the term loosely. In New Zealand, that request is met with a task analysis for the task, backed by your SSSP for the site.

Task analysis vs SSSP: what is the difference?

An SSSP is the whole-of-site safety plan for a contractor on one site. A task analysis (or JSA) breaks a single task into steps, with the hazards and controls for each step. The SSSP is the big picture; the task analyses are the detail for the higher-risk tasks, and the SSSP references them.

What main contractors check before letting you on site

Before a subcontractor starts, a New Zealand main contractor checks your SSSP, your task analyses for higher-risk work, your site induction, and the certificates and registrations for the work. Many also run a prequalification check such as SiteWise or through Site Safe. Missing or generic paperwork is the most common reason a start is delayed.

Site inductions in New Zealand: a subbie’s guide

A site induction is the briefing a main contractor gives before you work on their site. It covers the site rules, hazards, emergency arrangements and who to report to. It is part of engaging workers on health and safety under HSWA 2015, and your SSSP records that your crew has been inducted.

Site Safe SSSP template vs a generated SSSP

Site Safe’s SSSP resources give you the format New Zealand main contractors recognise, and you fill them in yourself. A generated SSSP follows the same conventions but arrives already written for your site, trade and crew. If you have the time and the safety knowledge, the fill-in route works. If you need a plan the main contractor will accept this week, generation is faster.

How to get an SSSP in NZ: every option compared

You can write an SSSP yourself from WorkSafe guidance, fill in Site Safe’s forms, download a free template, subscribe to a safety app, hire a consultant, or have one generated for your site. The options differ in cost, speed and how site-specific the result is. For a subbie who needs one accepted plan for one job, that trade-off decides it.

Do I need an SSSP as a subbie?

If you are working on a site run by a main contractor, expect to be asked for an SSSP before you start: it is how they meet their duty to co-ordinate the PCBUs on site. Working directly for a homeowner with no main contractor, no one will ask for the document, but your duties under HSWA 2015 to identify and control the hazards of your work apply exactly the same.

How long does an SSSP take to prepare?

Writing an SSSP yourself or filling in a template typically takes a few hours if you already know your hazards, and a day or more if you are researching as you go. A consultant works in days, set by their diary. A generated SSSP takes about ten minutes of questionnaire plus a few minutes of delivery. The time sink in every method is the site-specific content, not the formatting.