If a client has told you that you need SiteWise, or you are tendering for work that requires prequalification, this guide explains how the scheme works, what you need to pass, and what the ratings mean.
How SiteWise Works
SiteWise is run by Site Safe New Zealand. You register on the SiteWise platform, upload your health and safety documentation, and an assessor scores your system across multiple categories. Your overall rating depends on your scores and your incident history.
The assessment is not a pass/fail. It produces a colour rating that indicates the maturity of your health and safety system.
| Rating | What it means |
|---|---|
| Red | Below 50%. Significant gaps in your system. Most principals will not accept this rating. |
| Amber | 50–74%. Some elements in place but gaps remain. Some principals accept Amber, many do not. |
| Green | 75–89%. Good system. Widely accepted across the industry and the minimum most principals require. |
| Gold | 90% and above. High-quality systems demonstrated across all categories. Listed as Gold in the SiteWise database with a certificate and badge you can use in tenders and marketing. |
What SiteWise Assesses
The assessment covers your entire health and safety management system. You need documentation, evidence, and records for each category.
- Health and safety policy
- Hazard and risk management
- Incident and injury management
- Employee participation
- Training and supervision
- Emergency planning
- Contractor management
- Health monitoring
- Rehabilitation
- PPE management
- Document control
- Health and safety objectives
- Continuous improvement
If your documentation is thin or generic in any of these areas, your score drops. The most common reason businesses get Amber or Red is not that their workplace is unsafe, but that their paperwork does not demonstrate what they are doing.
What You Need Before You Apply
Applying for SiteWise without a working health and safety management system is the most common and most expensive mistake businesses make. The assessment scores your system. If you do not have one, or if it is a collection of generic templates, you will get a low rating and have to pay to reassess after fixing it.
The most efficient path is:
- Build or update your health and safety management system first
- Make sure your risk assessments and hazard register are current
- Gather your training records, incident logs, and emergency plans
- Then apply for SiteWise with everything ready
For a real example of how this works in practice, see our case study on achieving SiteWise Gold for a sole trader.
SiteWise vs. Tōtika
| Scheme | Used by | Rating system |
|---|---|---|
| SiteWise | Councils, infrastructure, many commercial builders | Red, Amber, Green, Gold |
| Tōtika | Government projects, large commercial and infrastructure clients | Four assessment categories |
Some clients require one, some require the other, and some require both. Check what your clients or the tender specifies before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- SiteWise: health and safety prequalification scheme for New Zealand businesses. sitewise.co.nz
- Tōtika: New Zealand's workplace health and safety prequalification scheme. totika.org