Health and Safety in Construction Certificate Programme
NZQA recognised qualification
Our Health and Safety in Construction programme provides you with essential health and safety training you need to make a difference at work.
Become a health and safety leader.
To complete the programme, you’ll need a minimum of 40 Site Safe programme credits.
How it works
Completing this programme will award you with a New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) recognised New Zealand Certificate in Workplace Health and Safety Practice (Level 3).
The following rules apply to completing this programme:
- You must achieve a minimum of 40 programme credits.
- You must complete two of the following courses:
- You may cross credit recognised learning from other providers up to a maximum of 10 credits. Please refer to the Health and Safety in Construction Handbook for further details on which unit standards or courses Site Safe recognise, and contact Site Safe for further information.
- You must complete your programme of learning within five years from the date of enrolment.
By completing the Health and Safety in Construction programme you will:
- Become a health and safety leader.
- Develop your career and skills.
- Demonstrate your commitment to health and safety training.
- Proudly stand for health and safety in the New Zealand construction industry.
- Develop an in-depth knowledge of workplace health and safety requirements and contribute to the wider construction industry in New Zealand.
For more information, download the Health and Safety in Construction Handbook and the Learner Guide.
Our certificate programme is for anyone who wants to:
- become a health and safety leader.
- develop your career and skills in health and safety.
- gain an in-depth knowledge of workplace health and safety requirements
- proudly stand for health and safety in the New Zealand construction industry.
- contribute to the wider construction industry in New Zealand.
When you complete this programme you'll earn a New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) recognised New Zealand Certificate in Workplace Health and Safety Practice (Level 3).
During the programme, you'll learn how to:
- communicate health and safety requirements clearly and effectively.
- conduct risk assessments.
- apply risk management processes.
- understand and apply legislative and workplace health and safety requirements in the construction industry.
- identify constructive and effective communication techniques to inform others about good health and safety practices.
- act responsibly and sensibly to achieve a healthy and safe environment for yourself, your family and your community.
To complete the programme, you’ll need a minimum of 40 Site Safe credits. These are earned by completing 6 or 7 Site Safe courses.
Mandatory courses
You must complete at least 2 of these courses to graduate:
- Leadership in Safety (7 credits)
- Risk Management (8 credits)
- Site-Specific Safety Planning (7 credits)
Course options
You can choose as many of these courses as you like to make up the rest of your 40 credits. Or you can choose your courses based on our learner pathways.
Foundation courses
1 and 2 day courses
- Accident Investigation & Prevention (7 credits)
- Advanced Safety Harnesss Systems (9 credits)
- First Aid Construction Safety (2 credits)
- Safety Harness Systems (6 credits)
- Health and Safety in Contracting (7 credits)
- Health and Safety Representative (9 credits)
- Supervisor (10 credits)
- Training and Supervising Workers (7 credits)
- Registered Electrical Workers (4 credits)
- Mental Health First Aid in Construction (2 credits)
You have up to 5 years from when you enrol in the certificate programme to complete all your credits, but most people usually complete the programme in 1 or 2 years.
It's free to enrol in the certificate programme – you just pay for each course you do.
We also offer scholarships, which cover the cost of courses completed in our certificate programme.
To enrol in the Health and Safety in Construction certificate programme, complete the enrolment form.
Enrol in the certificate programme
If you have any questions, email programme@sitesafe.org.nz.
Gain a Health and Safety in Construction Certificate?
Other things to know
You can cross credit recognised learning from other providers, up to a maximum of 10 credits.
Unit standards
You can cross-credit these unit standards up to a maximum of 10 credits:
Confined Space and Gas Testing
- Unit Standard 17599 – 5 credits (Level 4).
- Unit Standard 18426 – 2 credits (Level 3).
Mobile Elevated Working Platform (MEWP)
- Unit Standard 23966 – 2 credits (Level 3).
- Unit Standard 23960 – 3 credits (Level 3)
- Unit Standard 23960 – 3 credits (Level 3).
- Unit Standard 23962 – 5 credits (Level 4).
- Unit Standard 23963 – 4 credits (Level 3).
- Unit Standard 23964 – 2 credits (Level 3).
Low Level Scaffolding
- Unit Standard 9184 – 5 credits (Level 3).
Vertical Horizonz courses
You can earn 6 credits towards your certificate programme by completing 1 of these VHNZ courses:
- Confined Space & Gas Testing (2-day).
- Low Level Scaffolding (2-day).
- Mobile Elevated Working Platform (MEWP) (1-day).
If you're enrolled in the Health and Safety in Construction certificate programme and would like to withdraw, please email programme@sitesafe.org.nz.
After graduating from our certificate programme, you'll still need to renew your Site Safety Card every 2 years (from the date of the last course you completed).
Instead of completing more courses, you can take part in our 4-hour Continued Professional Development (CPD) Forum, which has been designed for graduates of the Health and Safety in Construction certificate programme
Apply for a scholarship today and become a health and safety leader!