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.
1. Write it yourself from scratch
Free, and completely yours. It suits experienced contractors who know HSWA 2015, can write a hazard register in reg 6 hierarchy order and know when work is notifiable to WorkSafe. For everyone else it is the slowest route, and gaps in a self-written plan are exactly what main contractors look for.
2. Site Safe forms and guidance
Site Safe’s format is the industry convention, and using its resources gets you the recognised structure with guidance notes. You still write all the site-specific content yourself. The best fit if you already hold a membership or have time before the job. We compare this route in detail in the Site Safe template guide.
3. Free downloadable templates
The fastest thing to download and the most commonly rejected thing to hand over. A free template is a blank or generic document, and a generic hazard register is the number one reason a main contractor bounces a plan. Free templates are genuinely useful for learning what an SSSP contains, which is why we publish a free sample SSSP ourselves, but treat them as a reference, not a submission.
4. Subscription safety apps
Apps such as HazardCo sell an ongoing safety system: SSSP-style documentation, site reviews, toolbox meeting tools and support, for a recurring fee. For a builder running jobs year-round, a system like that can be worth it. For a subbie who needs one plan for one job, a subscription is more system than the job needs, and the cost runs whether or not you are on site.
5. A safety consultant
The most hand-holding and the most expensive per plan, typically hundreds of dollars and a turnaround measured in days. Worth considering when the work is unusually complex, heavily notifiable, or the client demands bespoke documentation beyond a standard SSSP. For routine trade work it is more than the job needs.
6. A generated SSSP
You answer a short questionnaire about the company, site, crew and tasks, and the plan is written for that job: hazard register in reg 6 order, task analyses, emergency plan and induction record, in the structure main contractors recognise, checked against HSWA 2015 and the 2016 Regulations. Ours is NZ$89 one-time, delivered in minutes, with free revisions within 24 hours if the main contractor asks for a change.
How to choose
- •One job, starting soon: a generated SSSP, or Site Safe forms if you have the time and experience to fill them in properly
- •Jobs year-round with a crew and repeat clients: an ongoing system or subscription app starts to pay for itself
- •Complex or heavily notifiable work: a consultant for that job
- •Learning what an SSSP is before you buy anything: free templates, samples and WorkSafe guidance
- •Whatever the route: the plan must be specific to the site in front of you, or it will come straight back
Common questions
What is the cheapest way to get an SSSP?
Writing it yourself or filling in a free template costs nothing in cash. The real cost is your time and the risk of rejection: a generic or incomplete plan gets bounced, and you lose the days you were trying to save. The cheapest accepted plan is usually the one written specifically for the site at the lowest price, which is the gap one-time generation fills.
How long does each option take?
A generated SSSP takes minutes once you have answered the questionnaire. Filling in a template or the Site Safe forms takes hours if you already know your hazards, longer if you are researching as you go. A consultant typically takes days. A subscription app takes an initial setup and then runs as an ongoing system.
Do main contractors prefer one option over the others?
Main contractors recognise the Site Safe conventions, and every serious option follows that structure. What decides acceptance is the content: whether the plan names their site, your actual work, the real hazards and the controls for them. Our guide on what main contractors check covers exactly what they look for.
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