Beware of Construction Industry Con Artists: The Unseen Risks of Fake CHAS and Constructionline Certifications
In the construction industry, safety and compliance are everything. With high standards to uphold, many companies turn to third-party accreditation schemes like CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) and Constructionline to demonstrate their commitment to safety and competency. These accreditations help ensure that contractors have met essential health and safety regulations, enabling them to win contracts and build reputations in a highly competitive sector.
But not everything is as it seems. There is a growing problem in the construction world: con artists who leverage CHAS and Constructionline certifications to win projects while cutting corners. These rogue contractors abuse the system, leaving behind unpaid professionals and compromised safety standards, all to present a false image of legitimacy.
If you're working in this industry, especially as a health and safety consultant, you need to be aware of this scam—and know how to protect yourself.
How the Scam Works
Here's how these con artists typically operate:
They hire a health and safety professional (or consultancy) to get the required assessments and paperwork in place to apply for CHAS or Constructionline accreditation.
They use your credentials and name on their documents to secure these certifications, creating the illusion of a safety-compliant operation.
Once they secure the accreditation, they often fail to follow through with payments or contractual obligations to the health and safety professionals who made it possible. They’ve got what they need: your name and reputation to meet the certification requirements.
Worse still, they continue to operate unsafely. The certification becomes a hollow badge of honour—a mere formality, rather than a true reflection of their commitment to compliance and safety.
These unscrupulous contractors can then leverage this “official” accreditation to bid on large, lucrative projects, often undercutting legitimate companies who follow the rules. Meanwhile, the health and safety professionals they stiff are left chasing payments or dealing with the reputational risk of having their name associated with shoddy operations.
The Consequences
The impacts of these scams can be devastating:
For health and safety professionals, it means unpaid work, frustration, and the risk of having their professional reputation tarnished if these con artists’ projects result in unsafe conditions or accidents.
For clients and larger companies contracting out work, it opens the door to substandard contractors who may cut corners, increasing the risk of accidents and non-compliance.
For the industry as a whole, it undermines trust in vital safety accreditation schemes like CHAS and Constructionline, which are designed to improve standards and protect workers.
What Can Be Done? Holding Them Accountable
These types of fraudulent activities are hurting everyone—from the workers on-site to the consultants putting their names on the line. Larger companies, main contractors, and clients need to step up and take responsibility by performing thorough due diligence on the subcontractors they hire. CHAS and Constructionline certification alone isn’t enough to guarantee a contractor’s integrity or commitment to safety.
Here’s what can be done to combat these scams:
1. Due Diligence Checks
Larger construction companies should not rely solely on a contractor’s CHAS or Constructionline certification. They need to perform additional due diligence:
Verify the health and safety consultants listed on the certifications are still engaged with the company and that their work was compensated.
Ask for references from previous clients and check for consistency in their project portfolio.
Look for any red flags, such as unusually low bids or vague responses to questions about their health and safety protocols.
2. Payment Contracts for H&S Professionals
Health and safety professionals need to protect themselves by establishing clear payment terms before handing over their work. Having a strong contract in place, with phased payments tied to milestones, can help mitigate the risk of non-payment. Don’t allow your name to be used on a contractor’s documents without securing payment upfront or in scheduled instalments. Trust me from now on I'll be taking a deposit with my contracts!
3. Follow-Up Audits and Spot Checks
Major contractors and clients should require ongoing compliance, not just a one-time certification. Scheduling follow-up audits or surprise safety inspections can expose contractors who are cutting corners after securing a project.
Furthermore, have a phone call/ meeting with the H& S team. If the SME has a genuine person and not a made-up monkey or worse still their misses, then they will be happy to see some genuine checking and compliance.
4. Report Fraudulent Activity
Professionals who have been stiffed by these con artists shouldn’t hesitate to report the companies to accrediting bodies like CHAS and Constructionline. While these organisations don’t monitor every contractor day-to-day, flagging bad actors can lead to their certifications being revoked.
And moreover protecting other companies from being also a victim to fraudulent acts.
5. Public Accountability
Naming and shaming fraudulent contractors within the industry, or sharing experiences on public platforms, can help expose these bad actors to a wider audience. It also warns other professionals to stay away from certain companies.
Protect Yourself and the Industry
The construction industry is a cornerstone of our economy, but its integrity is at risk when unscrupulous players take advantage of loopholes in the system. Health and safety professionals deserve to be compensated for their work, and clients deserve contractors who truly uphold the standards that CHAS and Constructionline represent.
Larger construction companies and clients can be part of the solution by doing more than just looking at certificates. They need to dig deeper, ensure fair payment for professionals, and hold these fraudsters accountable to real-world standards of safety and compliance.
If you’re a health and safety professional, it’s critical to protect your name, your time, and your reputation by vetting clients carefully and insisting on fair payment terms before your work is used to certify any contractor.
It’s time to clean up this act—because cutting corners on safety is more than just unethical. It’s dangerous.
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