Site Safe, SiteWise & the SSSP, explained
What you actually need to get on site in New Zealand construction — the Site Safe passport, SiteWise prequalification and the Site-Specific Safety Plan — and how they sit under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
The Site Safe passport
The Site Safe Foundation Passport (Building Construction) is the most widely recognised construction health and safety induction in New Zealand. It isn’t a licence mandated by name in the Act, but most main contractors require a current passport before you set foot on their site, so in practice it’s essential for anyone doing construction work.
The SSSP
Before work starts, the main contractor and subcontractors agree how safety will be run on that specific project through a Site-Specific Safety Plan. It captures the hazards, the controls, who’s responsible, and what happens in an emergency — and it’s reviewed as the job changes.
Common questions
Is a Site Safe passport a legal requirement?
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 doesn't name Site Safe specifically — it requires workers to be trained and competent. In practice most main contractors require a current Site Safe passport (or equivalent) before you can work on their sites, so it functions as the entry ticket to NZ construction.
What is an SSSP?
A Site-Specific Safety Plan sets out how health and safety will be managed on a particular project — the hazards, the controls, the people responsible, and the emergency arrangements. Main contractors almost always require subcontractors to provide one before starting.
What is SiteWise?
SiteWise is a prequalification grading scheme run by Site Safe. Many principals ask contractors for a SiteWise grade as evidence their health and safety system is up to scratch before awarding work.
How does this differ from Australia's White Card?
New Zealand has no single mandatory construction induction card like Australia's White Card. Instead, competency is shown through training such as the Site Safe Foundation Passport, and site access is governed by the main contractor's requirements and the SSSP.
Track every worker’s Site Safe & tickets
Complys holds each worker’s Site Safe passport, licences and tickets in a digital profile, and flags anything expiring before it stops someone getting on site.