Capability template for procurement and suppliers

Contractor safety prequalification

For a named job, the operations, facilities or site manager gets a safety questionnaire scaled to the risk of the work, then a record of the contractor's answers scored only on the evidence supplied, with every gap, the conditions that close it and a review date. A competent person decides.

The outcome

Letting a contractor onto your site stops depending on a friendly phone call and a confident answer. The questions fit the job. A firm cleaning the offices answers four; a crew working from a platform above a busy warehouse floor answers every one, because the single riskiest task decides how hard the whole job is looked at.

When the answers come back, each question is scored on what is attached and nothing else. A promise with no certificate behind it is a gap. An answer that leans on harnesses and experience is a gap. A card that runs out two days before the job ends is caught weeks ahead, not on the morning work starts. Insurance is set against your own minimums, with the shortfall in dollars.

The record then shows what your rules point to, the condition that would close each gap and who chases it, the checks only a person can make, such as confirming a certificate with the insurer, and the date the approval should be looked at again. Your competent person reads it and decides: approve, approve with conditions, or reject. The assistant sends nothing, approves nothing and adds no one to a supplier list.

Who starts the work, and when

The operations, facilities or site manager bringing in a contractor for a named job starts it as soon as the job, the site and the dates are known. The first run produces the questionnaire, which a person sends. The second run, once the signed answers and documents are back, produces the evaluation record.

It runs again when an approval reaches its review date, or when the job changes and picks up a riskier task. The decision belongs to the person your company names as competent to judge contractor safety, such as its health and safety manager or an outside adviser.

What they supply

A short job brief: the contractor, the work and each activity in it, the site, the dates, who else could be affected nearby, who decides and who chases conditions.
Your settings: the activities you treat as high-risk, your insurance minimums, the questions that must pass, the findings that stop an approval and how long an approval lasts. Sensible defaults are supplied for each.
The contractor's signed answers and documents, each marked with the question it answers.
A list of the people on the job with their certificates and expiry dates, in five stated columns.

No connection to email, a supplier system, an insurer or any register is needed, and none is asked for.

What comes out

The first run gives a questionnaire ready to send: the job, its risk tier and why, plain instructions for the contractor, and each question with the evidence that answers it.

The second run gives one evaluation record, in a fixed order:

The risk tier, activity by activity, and the one that set it.
The evidence register: every question scored Met, Partly met or Gap, with the document behind it and the reason for any shortfall.
Insurance against your minimums, with any shortfall and every expiry date checked against the job's last day.
Claims not counted, quoted in the contractor's words.
Stop findings, then what your rules point to, with work on any high-risk activity held until its questions are met.
Conditions, each with the evidence that closes it, a date and who chases it.
Checks for a person, points for your competent person and the review date.
A blank decision line for the competent person to sign.

People named in the contractor's incident records appear as Worker 1, Worker 2, with no injury or health detail.

An invented example

Illustrative example with invented data. The company, the contractor, the people, the documents, the dates and every figure below are invented. The company is an invented food distribution business with two warehouses. Its facilities manager is bringing in an electrical contractor it has not used before to replace failed light fittings high above a working warehouse floor. Its outside health and safety adviser decides. Organisations are referred to by letter.

The example has two runs. First come the inputs for the first run, in full, and the questionnaire it returned. Then come the contractor's answers and documents, in full, and the evaluation record the second run returned.

Inputs for the first run

1. Job brief (typed by the facilities manager)

Contractor: Contractor E, an electrical contractor we have not used before.
Job: replace 14 failed LED high-bay light fittings in Warehouse 2 and
  re-wire two lighting circuits.
Activities:
  - working from a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) at about 9 m to
    remove and fit the light fittings;
  - re-wiring the two lighting circuits, which our maintenance team will
    isolate and lock off before work starts.
Site and area: Warehouse 2, aisles 8 to 14.
Dates: Monday 7 December 2026 to Friday 11 December 2026.
Who else could be affected: Warehouse 2 stays open; pickers and forklifts
  work in the aisles next to the platform.
Decision type: new approval, for this job and similar lighting work next
  year.
Questionnaire back by: Wednesday 18 November 2026, to the facilities manager.
Decides: health and safety adviser.
Chases conditions: facilities manager.
Prepared by: facilities manager, Monday 9 November 2026.

2. Prequalification settings (the company's standing settings)

High-hazard list: hot work; confined spaces; work at height; lifting with
  cranes or hoists; work on or near live electrical systems; demolition;
  excavation; asbestos or other substances that need special control.
Insurance: general liability at least $2,000,000 each occurrence;
  workers' compensation required, no amount set.
Safety record look-back: 3 years.
Must-pass questions: C1, C2, C4, and H1 and H2 for each high-hazard activity.
Stop findings: (a) the contractor states it does not hold a required cover;
  (b) a regulator notice, citation or prosecution in the look-back period
  that the contractor's records show as still open; (c) for a Tier 3
  activity, nobody named for it holds any certification for it.
Conditions close: before work starts, unless the health and safety adviser
  sets a later date.
Review cadence: 12 months.
Currency: US dollars.

What the first run returned: the questionnaire

CONTRACTOR SAFETY PREQUALIFICATION: Contractor E for replacement of 14 high-bay light fittings and re-wiring of two lighting circuits, Warehouse 2

Stage: Questionnaire to issue. Prepared by: facilities manager on 9 November 2026. Decision by: health and safety adviser.
Job: replace 14 failed LED high-bay light fittings and re-wire two lighting circuits. Site and area: Warehouse 2, aisles 8 to 14. Dates: 7 December 2026 to 11 December 2026. Decision type: new approval, for this job and similar lighting work next year.
Who else could be affected: pickers and forklifts working in the aisles next to the platform; Warehouse 2 stays open.
Settings: as supplied.

RISK TIER

Working from a mobile elevating work platform at about 9 m: Tier 3, on the high-hazard list as work at height.
Re-wiring two lighting circuits, isolated and locked off before work starts: Tier 2, skilled trade, tools or plant, nothing on the high-hazard list.
Tier for the job: Tier 3, set by working from the platform. Questions asked: C1 to C4, T1 to T4, H1 to H3 (work at height).

PART A: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE CONTRACTOR

To: Contractor E. Return by: 18 November 2026. Return to: facilities manager.

How to answer:

Put the question code on every document you attach.
We score only what is attached: an answer with nothing behind it is treated as unanswered.
Each certificate and policy has to stay valid from 7 December 2026 to 11 December 2026, not just today.
Answer every question. If one does not fit this job, write one line beside its code saying why. A plain "no" counts once you sign below.
Leave out injury and health details about anyone; call an injured person Worker 1, Worker 2.
C1 Which insurance do you hold for this work, with what limits, and until when? Evidence that answers it: a certificate for each required cover showing the insurer, the limit and the expiry date. MUST PASS
C2 Over the last 3 years, which injuries to your workers or to others had to be reported to a safety regulator, and which notices, citations or prosecutions did you receive? Which are still open? Evidence that answers it: your incident summary for the period, signed by an owner or director, and a copy of each notice or citation with its closure letter if it is closed. MUST PASS
C3 Who in your company is responsible for safety, and what is your written policy? Evidence that answers it: the policy, signed and dated, naming the person or the role responsible.
C4 What trade licences, registrations or training for their trade do the people doing this job hold? Evidence that answers it: the people-on-this-job list and a copy of each trade licence, registration or training record on it. MUST PASS
T1 How will you do this job, step by step, and what are its risks and their controls? Evidence that answers it: a method statement and risk assessment written for this job at this site.
T2 Who will supervise your people on site, and how often will they be there? Evidence that answers it: the supervisor's row on the people-on-this-job list and their qualification record.
T3 Will any of the work be subcontracted? If so, to whom, and how do you check their safety? Evidence that answers it: each subcontractor's name and your check of it, or a signed "no".
T4 What powered tools, plant or access equipment will you bring, and when was each last inspected? Evidence that answers it: the latest inspection or examination record for each item, with its next due date.
H1 (work at height) Which of your people will carry out work at height, and what certification for it does each hold? Evidence that answers it: a current card or certificate for work at height for each of them, in date for the whole job. MUST PASS
H2 (work at height) What will you put in place to remove or reduce the hazard of work at height, so that protective equipment is not the main safeguard, and how will people nearby be kept clear? Evidence that answers it: the part of your method statement that shows those controls. MUST PASS
H3 (work at height) How will work at height be authorised on our site, under our permit where we issue one, and how would you rescue someone if it went wrong? Evidence that answers it: a written plan for getting a person out safely during work at height, saying how and by whom, and the permit or written authorisation your people will work under.

People on this job: one row per certificate, with the columns person, role_on_job, certification, issuer, expires (YYYY-MM-DD).

Declaration: Signed on behalf of the contractor. Everything in this return, answers and documents, can be relied on as given. Signed: ____________ Name: ____________ Position: ____________ Date: ____________

PART B: EVALUATION RECORD

Not yet; the answers have not been received.

Status: prepared for the health and safety adviser's decision. Nothing has been sent, approved or added to any supplier list.

The facilities manager read the questionnaire and sent it to Contractor E on Tuesday 10 November 2026.

Inputs for the second run

The job brief and the settings are the same as for the first run. The facilities manager added the two dates, the contractor's answers, the documents and the people list, and ran it on Wednesday 18 November 2026.

3. Dates (typed by the facilities manager)

Questionnaire issued: Tuesday 10 November 2026.
Answers received: Tuesday 17 November 2026.

4. The contractor's answers (typed copy of the returned questionnaire)

CONTRACTOR E: ANSWERS TO THE SAFETY QUESTIONNAIRE
Job: replace high-bay light fittings and re-wire two circuits, Warehouse 2.

C1  We hold general liability and workers' compensation. Certificate
    attached (E1).
C2  One reportable injury in the last three years, in March 2024. The
    regulator issued a citation, which is now closed. Summary and
    letters attached (E2, E3).
C3  Our operations lead is responsible for safety. Policy attached (E4).
C4  See our people list (E5) and copies of the licences and cards (E6).
T1  Our method statement is attached (E7).
T2  Ana Brekkestad supervises and will be on site every day of the job.
T3  No. We do not subcontract any part of this work.
T4  The platform comes from Hire company H; its examination report is
    attached (E8). No other powered tools, plant or access equipment;
    hand tools only.
H1 (work at height)  Ana and Tomas will operate the platform; Sam works
    at ground level only. All our platform operators hold current cards.
H2 (work at height)  Our team is experienced and always wears harnesses
    on the platform.
H3 (work at height)  Rescue plan available on request. We will follow
    your permit system.

Signed: R. Calloway-Nunes   Position: Managing director
Date: 17 November 2026

5. The documents (typed summaries; the originals are on file)

E1  CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE, issued 12 November 2026 by Insurer N.
    Insured: Contractor E.
    General liability: $1,000,000 each occurrence; $2,000,000 aggregate.
      Policy period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
    Workers' compensation: statutory cover.
      Policy period 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2027.

E2  INCIDENT SUMMARY, November 2023 to November 2026, signed by the
    managing director on 13 November 2026.
    2023 (November, December): no reportable injuries.
    14 March 2024: D. Halvorsen-Pike, electrician, fell from a
      stepladder while fitting a light at a customer's shop. Fractured
      left wrist; off work six weeks. Reported to the regulator.
    2025: no reportable injuries.
    2026 to date: no reportable injuries.
    Notices and citations: one citation, 2 May 2024 (see E3).

E3  REGULATOR CITATION dated 2 May 2024: a stepladder used for work
    that needed a platform or tower. Regulator's letter dated
    19 July 2024: citation closed after corrective action.

E4  SAFETY POLICY, signed and dated 3 February 2026 by the managing
    director. Names the operations lead as responsible for safety.

E5  PEOPLE ON THIS JOB (the list below).

E6  Copies of the five licences, cards and registrations on E5. The
    dates on the copies match the list.

E7  ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION: GENERAL METHOD STATEMENT, revision 3,
    March 2025. Covers safe isolation, testing and general installation
    work. Names no site, no platform and no particular job.

E8  EXAMINATION REPORT for a scissor-lift platform, serial SL-4471,
    from Hire company H, dated 2 September 2026. Result: safe to use.
    Next examination due 2 March 2027.

6. People on this job (E5, as the contractor sent it)

person,role_on_job,certification,issuer,expires
Ana Brekkestad,Supervisor,Electrical licence,State licensing board,2027-06-30
Ana Brekkestad,Supervisor,MEWP operator card,Training provider P,2028-02-14
Tomas Venkov,Electrician,Electrical licence,State licensing board,2027-10-31
Tomas Venkov,Electrician,MEWP operator card,Training provider P,2026-12-09
Sam Okonjo-Reyes,Apprentice electrician,Apprenticeship registration,State apprenticeship office,2028-08-31

What the second run returned: the evaluation record

CONTRACTOR SAFETY PREQUALIFICATION: Contractor E for replacement of 14 high-bay light fittings and re-wiring of two lighting circuits, Warehouse 2

Stage: Evaluation of the answers. Prepared by: facilities manager on 18 November 2026. Decision by: health and safety adviser.
Job: replace 14 failed LED high-bay light fittings and re-wire two lighting circuits. Site and area: Warehouse 2, aisles 8 to 14. Dates: 7 December 2026 to 11 December 2026. Decision type: new approval, for this job and similar lighting work next year.
Who else could be affected: pickers and forklifts working in the aisles next to the platform; Warehouse 2 stays open.
Settings: as supplied.

RISK TIER

Working from a mobile elevating work platform at about 9 m: Tier 3, on the high-hazard list as work at height.
Re-wiring two lighting circuits, isolated and locked off before work starts: Tier 2, skilled trade, tools or plant, nothing on the high-hazard list.
Tier for the job: Tier 3, set by working from the platform. Questions asked: C1 to C4, T1 to T4, H1 to H3 (work at height).

PART A: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE CONTRACTOR

Questionnaire issued on 10 November 2026; not repeated.

PART B: EVALUATION RECORD

Answers received: 17 November 2026. Signed: yes. Evidence documents: 8.
E1: certificate of insurance, 12 November 2026. Answers C1.
E2: incident summary, November 2023 to November 2026, signed 13 November 2026. Answers C2.
E3: regulator citation, 2 May 2024, and closure letter, 19 July 2024. Answers C2.
E4: safety policy, 3 February 2026. Answers C3.
E5: people on this job. Answers C4, T2, H1.
E6: copies of the licences, cards and registration on E5. Answers C4, T2, H1.
E7: general method statement for electrical installation, revision 3, March 2025. Answers T1, H2.
E8: platform examination report, 2 September 2026. Answers T4.
Personal details: E2 names an injured worker and gives the injury and the time off work; this record calls that person Worker 1 and leaves both out. The three people on E5, also named in the answers, are Crew 1 to Crew 3, and the person who signed the answers is called the managing director. The originals stay in the contractor's file.
People on this job: Crew 1, Supervisor: Electrical licence, expires 30 June 2027; MEWP operator card, expires 14 February 2028. Crew 2, Electrician: Electrical licence, expires 31 October 2027; MEWP operator card, expires 9 December 2026. Crew 3, Apprentice electrician: Apprenticeship registration, expires 31 August 2028.

EVIDENCE REGISTER

C1 Insurance: Gap. MUST PASS. Evidence: E1 shows general liability of $1,000,000 each occurrence to 31 March 2027 and workers' compensation to 31 January 2027. Why: general liability is below the $2,000,000 each-occurrence minimum.
C2 Safety record: Met. MUST PASS. Evidence: E2 covers November 2023 to November 2026 and is signed by the managing director; it reports one reportable injury, to Worker 1 in March 2024. E3 shows the one citation, of 2 May 2024, closed on 19 July 2024. No open notice.
C3 Safety policy: Met. Evidence: E4, signed and dated 3 February 2026, names the operations lead as responsible for safety.
C4 Trade competence: Met. MUST PASS. Evidence: E5 and E6 show electrical licences for Crew 1 and Crew 2, to 30 June 2027 and 31 October 2027, and Crew 3's apprenticeship registration, to 31 August 2028, all in date for the whole job. The platform operator cards on the same list are scored under H1.
T1 Method: Partly met. Evidence: E7, a general electrical installation method statement, revision 3, March 2025. Why: it is a general method statement; it names no site, no platform and no particular job, and no risk assessment for this job was supplied.
T2 Supervision: Met. Evidence: E5 lists Crew 1 as supervisor, with an electrical licence in E6 to 30 June 2027.
T3 Subcontracting: Met. Evidence: a signed "no" in the answers.
T4 Equipment: Met. Evidence: E8 shows the platform examined on 2 September 2026 and safe to use, next examination due 2 March 2027, and a signed "no" to any other powered tools, plant or access equipment.
H1 (work at height) Certification: Partly met. MUST PASS. Evidence: E5 and E6 show MEWP operator cards for Crew 1, to 14 February 2028, and Crew 2, to 9 December 2026. Why: Crew 2's card runs out on 9 December 2026, before the job ends on 11 December 2026.
H2 (work at height) Controls: Gap. MUST PASS. Evidence: the answer and E7. Why: the answer rests only on harnesses and experience, and E7 is a general method statement that shows no controls for work at height and nothing on keeping people nearby clear.
H3 (work at height) Permit and rescue: Gap. Evidence: the answer alone; no document. Why: a rescue plan is said to be available on request but was not supplied, and "we will follow your permit system" gives no permit or written authorisation the crew will work under.
Scores: Met 6, Partly met 2, Gap 3, of 11 questions. Must-pass questions not Met: C1, H1 (work at height), H2 (work at height).

INSURANCE AGAINST YOUR MINIMUMS

General liability: $1,000,000 each occurrence against $2,000,000 each occurrence: short by $1,000,000. Other basis shown, not used: $2,000,000 aggregate. Expires 31 March 2027: in date for the whole job.
Workers' compensation: statutory cover against cover required, no amount set: meets it. Expires 31 January 2027: in date for the whole job.

CLAIMS NOT COUNTED

T2: "[Crew 1] supervises and will be on site every day of the job." No document shows how often Crew 1 will be on site; T2 is scored on E5 and E6 alone.
H1 (work at height): "All our platform operators hold current cards." E5 shows Crew 2's MEWP operator card runs out on 9 December 2026, before the job ends on 11 December 2026.
H2 (work at height): "Our team is experienced and always wears harnesses on the platform." No part of a method statement was supplied showing controls before harnesses or how people nearby are kept clear.
H3 (work at height): "Rescue plan available on request. We will follow your permit system." No rescue plan was supplied, and no permit or written authorisation for the work was given.

STOP FINDINGS

None.

WHAT THE RULES POINT TO

Conditional. Rule: no stop finding, and 5 of 11 questions are not Met (2 Partly met, 3 Gap). Work at height does not start while H1, H2 and H3 are not Met.

CONDITIONS

Closes C1. Evidence that closes it: a certificate showing general liability of at least $2,000,000 each occurrence, in date to 11 December 2026 or later. Close by: before work starts on 7 December 2026. Chased by: facilities manager. Checked by: health and safety adviser.
Closes T1. Evidence that closes it: a method statement and risk assessment written for this job: the light fittings replaced from the platform in Warehouse 2, aisles 8 to 14, and the two circuits re-wired once isolated. Close by: before work starts on 7 December 2026. Chased by: facilities manager. Checked by: health and safety adviser.
Closes H1 (work at height). Evidence that closes it: a MEWP operator card for Crew 2 in date to 11 December 2026 or later. Close by: before work starts on 7 December 2026. Chased by: facilities manager. Checked by: health and safety adviser.
Closes H2 (work at height). Evidence that closes it: the part of the method statement that shows the controls for work at height before harnesses, and how pickers and forklifts are kept clear of the platform. Close by: before work starts on 7 December 2026. Chased by: facilities manager. Checked by: health and safety adviser.
Closes H3 (work at height). Evidence that closes it: a written plan for getting a person stranded on the platform down safely, saying how and by whom, and the permit or written authorisation the crew will work under for work at height. Close by: before work starts on 7 December 2026. Chased by: facilities manager. Checked by: health and safety adviser.

CHECKS FOR A PERSON

Confirm the certificate in E1 with Insurer N or Contractor E's broker, for C1.
Confirm the citation of 2 May 2024 is closed, where the regulator publishes its records, for C2.
Check Crew 1's and Crew 2's electrical licences on the state licensing board's public register, and Crew 3's registration with the state apprenticeship office, where a public register exists, for C4.
Confirm Crew 1's and Crew 2's platform operator cards with Training provider P, for H1 (work at height).
When the platform arrives, check its serial number against the examination report in E8, for T4.

POINTS FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY ADVISER

C2: Worker 1's fall from a stepladder in March 2024, and the citation of 2 May 2024 for using a stepladder where a platform or tower was needed, concern work at height, an activity in this job. C2 is scored Met because the summary is supplied and the citation is closed (E3). Does this call for anything further before work at height starts?
T2 and H1 (work at height): Crew 1 is the supervisor and also one of the two platform operators. Is supervision adequate while Crew 1 is on the platform, with pickers and forklifts working in the next aisles?
Decision type: the brief asks for a new approval for this job and similar lighting work next year. This record's review date is 31 January 2027, and work next year could start after it. Should the approval cover similar work next year, and on what evidence?

REVIEW DATE

31 January 2027, set by the workers' compensation policy in E1, which runs to 31 January 2027. Set again when conditions close.

DECISION (for the health and safety adviser to complete)

Approve / Conditional / Reject: ____________ Conditions changed: ____________ Signed: ____________ Date: ____________

Status: prepared for the health and safety adviser's decision. Nothing has been sent, approved or added to any supplier list.

Where it fits

Procurement and suppliers, which keeps the record of why each contractor was let in. It sits beside vendor quote comparison, which settles price; this settles safety.
Health, safety and environment, where the competent person makes the call. Workplace risk assessment covers the risks of the job itself.
Operations and process improvement, where facilities and site managers bring in trades every month.
Construction, where main contractors take on subcontractors for work at height, lifting and excavation.
Manufacturing, where maintenance shutdowns bring welders, electricians and riggers onto a live plant.
Logistics and trade, where warehouses stay open while lighting, racking and roof work goes on overhead.
Real estate, where property and facilities managers bring in roofers, lift engineers and cleaners across many buildings.
Established businesses, where the same few contractors have been used for years without a written check.
Growth & scaling, when new sites mean new contractors nobody knows yet.

What has to change for your company

Who decides. Name your competent person for contractor safety, and who stands in when they are away.
Your high-risk activities. Start from the default list and add the work your sites see.
Your insurance minimums, by kind of job if they differ.
Your rules. Which questions must pass, which findings stop an approval, or your own scoring scheme in their place.
Your timing. Whether every condition closes before work starts, and how long an approval lasts.
Your adviser. The capability gives no view on what the law asks of your company, on liability or on contract wording. It names those questions for whoever advises you.
Your platform. It runs in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini. Decide which documents the assistant may read.

What has been checked

Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template. It was editorially reviewed on 10 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example in Claude on 10 November 2026, and the record of that run is published with the template. A first run that day found that one competence question could be scored two ways and that the example held two dates its inputs did not give; the template and the example were revised, the revised version was run again the same day, and the published record is that second run. After an independent review, three judgements that run had to make were written into the template, the same way the run made them, and two small corrections were made to the example; none changes a score on the example, and the run was not repeated. It has not yet been tested in a client environment. It has not yet been tested as a packaged version in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini.

Testing in your environment means running it on two or three contractors your competent person already knows well, plus hard cases written in advance, each with its expected result: a job described only as "general work", a certificate claimed but not attached, a card that runs out during the job, an answer that relies on harnesses alone, insurance below your minimum, an injured worker named in the records. The competent person checks every score and every date against the documents before anyone relies on the record. Pilot acceptance-test preparation builds that test set, and what we test before we call an AI workflow ready describes the record we keep.

The full capability template

Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.

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