The evidence pack that gets you across the line — whether it's SiteWise, PreQual or Totika
First-timers rarely fail because they lack policies — they fail because they cannot prove those policies are being used. The fix is to assemble an evidence pack before you start: current, dated records across the core areas every scheme checks. Get that right and the questionnaire becomes a matter of attaching what you already have.
The gap is almost never a missing policy — it is missing evidence that the policy is actually in use.
A new applicant often has a tidy health and safety manual but little to show it lives in the business: no recent toolbox talks, no dated inspections, no incidents recorded and closed out. Assessors are trained to look past the paperwork and check the system is genuinely operating, so a folder of untouched templates scores poorly. The good news is that this is fixable — you just need to gather and date the proof before you submit.
It is a current, organised set of records that demonstrates each part of your health and safety system in action.
Think of it as the answer to the assessor's unspoken question for every section: “show me.” For each area below, have a recent, dated example ready to attach. Across SiteWise, PreQual and Totika the wording differs, but the core areas they probe are very similar.
| Area | What assessors want to see | Example evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Policy & responsibilities | A signed, dated H&S policy and clear roles. | Policy signed by a director this year; responsibilities chart. |
| Risk management | Hazard/risk registers and task- or site-specific assessments. | Current risk register; a recent task or site risk assessment. |
| Incident management | Reporting and corrective actions that were closed out. | An incident or near-miss report with the action taken and signed off. |
| Training & competency | Inductions and role-relevant training kept up to date. | Training matrix; recent induction records; current certificates. |
| Worker engagement | Workers involved in H&S, not just told about it. | Toolbox talk and safety meeting minutes with attendees. |
| Contractor management | How you check and manage your own subcontractors. | Subcontractor checks; site induction records. |
| Monitoring & review | Evidence you inspect, measure and improve. | Dated site inspections; a management review note. |
Depending on your work, also have current insurances, SDS and an emergency plan ready. Always check your scheme's current questionnaire for the exact areas.
Recent — ideally from the last three to six months — because assessors are confirming the system runs now.
A policy dated two years ago with no activity since reads as dormant. A handful of dated records from the last few months — a toolbox talk, an inspection, an incident closed out — tells a far stronger story. This is exactly why a system you use day to day beats a folder you open the week before assessment: the evidence accumulates on its own.
NZOHS gives you a complete, ready-to-use health and safety management system — policies, registers, procedures, training records and reporting — that produces exactly the kind of current, dated evidence a first assessment needs. Because the NZOHS team are qualified New Zealand health and safety professionals, we help you assemble and present your evidence pack, and our monthly updates keep it current for the next renewal.
“I wanted to thank you for your help a couple of weeks ago with our PreQual assessment. We just heard today that we were awarded 5 stars!”
— NZOHS client, following a PreQual assessment
Get a system built for New Zealand H&S that produces the evidence assessors look for. Book a demo and we'll show you how it works — free 30-day trial included.
Current, dated records across the core areas every scheme checks: a signed H&S policy, hazard and risk registers, incident reports with corrective actions, training and induction records, worker engagement (toolbox talks and meetings), subcontractor management, and site inspections. Assessors grade what you can prove, so each area needs a recent example.
Ideally a few months, because assessors expect evidence from roughly the last three to six months. You cannot convincingly create that history in a week, so the sooner you are running a real system and dating the records, the stronger your first result.
The wording differs, but the core areas are very similar across all three. A solid evidence pack — policy, risk management, incidents, training, worker engagement, contractor management and monitoring — will serve whichever scheme your client accepts.
Because policies alone are not enough — assessors check they are used. Untailored templates, undated records, and incidents with no corrective action all read as a system that is not really operating, even when the written documents look complete.
