Guide · Construction

Construction Compliance Software UK: Records & Certificates

On a live site, compliance usually falls apart in the same three places: a CSCS card that expired last month, a site safety certificate nobody can find, and a plant inspection that slipped past its date. This guide covers what UK contractors need to keep on file, and how a compliance record system keeps it straight without adding site admin.

What contractors need to keep on file

• CSCS cards for every operative, plus card expiry dates and card levels.
• Training and competence records: SSSTS/SMSTS, first aid, asbestos awareness, abrasive wheels, IPAF, CPCS/NPORS plant tickets.
• Site-specific documents: construction phase plan, site induction records, permits to work, F10 notification where notifiable.
• Risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) per activity, with review dates.
• Plant and lifting equipment inspections: LOLER thorough examinations, PUWER inspections, PAT testing, harness and lanyard checks.
• Certificates for hired plant, and pre-use inspection sheets.
• Insurance: employers' liability, public liability, contract works; plus accreditations such as CHAS, SafeContractor or Constructionline.
• COSHH assessments and safety data sheets for fuels, resins, sealants and cement products.

Why spreadsheets struggle on site

A card matrix in a spreadsheet is only accurate on the day someone updates it. It doesn't hold the certificate itself, it doesn't warn you 30 days out, and when a principal contractor or auditor asks for evidence, someone ends up trawling email. The two things that fix it are attaching evidence to the record it belongs to, and letting the system watch the dates for you.

What good construction compliance software does

1. One record per person, plant item or site. The certificate PDF lives against the thing it certifies.
2. Reminders before expiry. 90/60/30/14/7 day warnings on CSCS cards, tickets, LOLER examinations and insurance renewals.
3. Recurring intervals. 6- and 12-month examinations roll forward automatically when a task is signed off — see LOLER inspection software.
4. Sites and folders. Split records by site or project, so a handover pack is a filter rather than a rebuild.
5. Calibration of test equipment. Torque wrenches, gas detectors and test gear tracked the same way — see equipment calibration tracking.
6. Audit trail and role-based access. Who uploaded what and when; site managers see their site, the office sees everything.

Sits alongside your project tools

You keep your project management, estimating and site diary software. FileGuard holds the compliance layer underneath it. For the wider market view, see the UK compliance software comparison, the health & safety records guide and the compliance audit guide.

A practical setup for a small contractor

1. Create a site for each active project, plus one for the yard or office.
2. Add a category for People (CSCS and training), Plant, and Site documents.
3. Bulk import your existing card matrix and plant list, then attach the certificates you already have.
4. Set intervals: 6 months for lifting accessories and man-riding equipment, 12 months for other lifting equipment, card expiry for people.
5. Assign an owner per category so reminders reach a person, not an inbox nobody reads.

Common questions

What is construction compliance software?

It stores the records a contractor must produce on demand — cards, training, RAMS, site documents and plant inspections — and reminds the team before they expire.

How often does plant need inspecting?

Under LOLER, lifting equipment used to lift people is thoroughly examined every 6 months, other lifting equipment every 12 months, and lifting accessories every 6 months. PUWER inspection intervals follow your risk assessment and the manufacturer's guidance.

Does it replace our project management system?

No — it runs alongside it and owns the compliance records only.