Gleeson Homes to require Smas Worksafe certification from all site contractors

Gleeson Homes has chosen Smas Worksafe as its contractor certification scheme, with principal contractors and groundworkers on its sites required to hold Worksafe Plus certification from 18 December, Smas Worksafe has announced.

All other contractors working for the affordable housebuilder will need the standard Worksafe certification, which is assessed to the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) core criteria. Smas said Gleeson had opted for the split requirement to target different levels of risk and different job role responsibilities across its supply chain.

Smas said the arrangement was intended to help Gleeson comply with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). The announcement gives the implementation date as 18 December but does not state a year.

Ricky Williams-Couling, Head of Client Services at Smas Worksafe, said: "We look forward to working with Gleeson Homes in the future, supporting their Health & Safety compliance and contractor risk levels throughout their supply chain."

The two tiers

According to Smas, its standard Worksafe SSIP assessment follows the 15 SSIP core criteria, condensed into 10 questions.

Worksafe Plus goes further. Smas said it assesses environmental and quality management, financial and business standing, and corporate and professional standing in addition to health and safety, and that it has incorporated parts of the PAS 91 pre-qualification questionnaire into the certification.

Under CDM 2015, the principal contractor is appointed by the client to control the construction phase, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE says principal contractors must ensure all workers have site-specific inductions and any further information and training they need. It is this role, along with groundworks, that Gleeson has placed in the higher tier.

Smas Worksafe has operated since 2006 and describes itself as a founding member of the SSIP Forum, which SSIP says is made up of registered members, certification body members and supporter members. Smas said 95% of its customers return every year.

Gleeson's safety approach

MJ Gleeson, the housebuilder's parent company, said there is nothing more important to it than the safety of its people, customers and subcontractors. It runs an internal health and safety culture programme it calls HomeSafe, which it said staff maintain regardless of job role.

Gleeson Homes builds affordable homes across the North of England and the Midlands and, according to the company, now also develops sites in partnership with housing associations and private institutions. Smas said the business was established in Sheffield in 1903.

The scale of the supply chain

According to a statement from MJ Gleeson filed with the Financial Conduct Authority's National Storage Mechanism, Gleeson Homes started its 2027 financial year with 63 build sites, of which 53 were active sales sites, down from 68 sites at 30 June 2025.

The company said in July 2026 that it expected to operate from slightly fewer sites in FY2027 than previously planned. Its forward order book stood at 848 plots at 30 June 2026, compared with 845 plots a year earlier.

FY2026 also brought Gleeson Homes' first partnership completions, which totalled 320 units, against none the year before.

Contractors in Gleeson's supply chain have until 18 December to secure the relevant Worksafe or Worksafe Plus certification.