SSSP template (Site-Specific Safety Plan)

A Site-Specific Safety Plan is the New Zealand construction industry's standard document for managing health and safety on a single site under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. The Act does not name the SSSP, but head contractors and government clients almost always require one before site access, and it is how overlapping PCBU duties get coordinated in practice.

Who it's for: New Zealand contractors and subcontractors who need a site plan a head contractor will accept, and head contractors setting the standard for their sites.

Free to use and adapt · Last updated 2026-07-27 · No email required

Project and contact details

Head contractor / client

PCBU completing this plan

Site address

Description of the works

Start date and expected duration

Site supervisor and contact number

Notifiable work Check WorkSafe's list of particular hazardous work (e.g. certain excavation and work-at-height activities); notify WorkSafe at least 24 hours before it starts

Roles and responsibilities

Name a person against every role. On a shared site, record which PCBU provides each one.

Role	Name	Responsibilities on this site
Site supervisor
Health and safety representative
First aider
Subcontractor supervisor(s)

Hazard and risk register

List the hazards of this site, not a generic list copied from the last job. Rate each risk, record the controls, and name who owns them.

Hazard	Who is at risk	Risk rating	Controls	Responsible

Site rules and induction

Every worker, subcontractor and visitor completes a site induction before starting
Minimum PPE for the site is defined and enforced
Drug and alcohol expectations are communicated at induction
Site amenities in place: toilets, drinking water, first aid kit
Housekeeping and waste standards set and checked
Plant and vehicle rules set: speed limits, exclusion zones, spotters where needed
Permit-required tasks identified: hot work, confined space, excavation
Electrical equipment tested and tagged, leads protected
Hazardous substances inventory kept with safety data sheets on site
Toolbox talks scheduled and recorded
Workers know how to raise a hazard and who to raise it with

Emergency plan

Assembly point

Nearest medical facility

Site access point for emergency services The exact address and entrance to give 999

Fire extinguisher locations

Rescue plan for work at height or confined space Calling 999 is not a rescue plan on its own

Emergency contacts Site supervisor, head contractor, power and gas faults

Incident and injury reporting

All injuries, incidents and near misses on this site are recorded, and the head contractor is told the same day. Near misses count; they are the cheapest lessons available.

Notifiable events (a death, a notifiable injury or illness, or a notifiable incident) must be reported to WorkSafe New Zealand as soon as possible, and the site must not be disturbed until WorkSafe authorises it, except to help an injured person or make the site safe.

Review and sign-off

Both PCBUs sign this plan, and sign again at each revision. Review it when the scope, methods or conditions change, after any incident or near miss, and at agreed intervals through the project.

Signed for	Name	Signature	Date
Head contractor
Contractor

How to use it

Getting the most out of this template

Draft the plan before anyone mobilises to site and agree it with the head contractor.
Fill the hazard register with hazards from this site, not a generic list.
Induct every worker and subcontractor against the plan before they start.
Table the SSSP at toolbox talks and update it as the site changes.
Record reviews and get both PCBUs to sign each revision.

This template is general information, not legal advice. Requirements differ by jurisdiction and industry; check the guidance published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and seek advice for your specific circumstances.

Questions

Frequently asked

Is an SSSP legally required?

Not by name. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 does not mention the SSSP. What it does require is that every PCBU manages its risks and that PCBUs sharing a site consult, cooperate and coordinate with each other. An SSSP is the construction industry's standard way of showing both, and most head contractors and government clients will not allow site access without one.

Who writes the SSSP?

Normally the contractor doing the work drafts it and the head contractor reviews and agrees it before site access. On shared sites both PCBUs sign it, which is how the duty to consult, cooperate and coordinate gets evidenced.

How often should it be reviewed?

Whenever the scope, methods or site conditions change, after any incident or near miss, and at agreed intervals through the project; monthly is common. A dated review note keeps it a living document rather than induction-day paperwork.

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