Which Safety Documents Does a Contractor Need?
Most trade contractors need a mix of these documents depending on who is asking: a written safety program (company-wide, for prequal portals and insurers), a site-specific safety plan (per project, for general contractors), and a job hazard analysis (per task). If you employ workers in a state with a heat rule you also need a heat illness prevention plan, and California employers additionally need an IIPP and a workplace violence prevention plan. The trigger is always the requester, not a single universal rule.
Who requires what
| If this is asking | You need | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| A general contractor, per project | Site-Specific Safety Plan ($49) | One project |
| ISNetworld / Avetta / an insurer | Written Safety Program ($149) | Company-wide |
| A GC wanting task detail | Job Hazard Analysis ($29) | One task |
| Your state (CA/OR/WA/NV/MD) | Heat Illness Prevention Plan ($49) | Company-wide |
| California law (all employers) | IIPP ($99) + WVPP ($59) | Company-wide |
Start from the requester, not the document
Contractors waste time guessing which document to buy. The reliable method is to work backward from who is demanding it. A project-level demand from a GC means a site-specific safety plan. A prequal upload or insurance condition means the company-wide written safety program. A state with its own heat or workplace-violence rule adds those specific plans on top. Answer five quick questions in the state requirements quiz and it produces your exact checklist with each item linked to its page.
Generate any of them
TailgateDocs generates every document on this list for your trade, with verified citations and delivery in minutes. Not sure where to start, use the free quiz to get your personalized checklist first.
Common questions
▸Do I need all of these documents?
Rarely all at once. Nearly every contractor needs a written safety program on file and a site-specific safety plan per project. The rest depend on your state and your clients: heat plans in five states, IIPP and WVPP in California, JHAs per high-hazard task.
▸What is the one document every contractor should have?
A written safety program. It is what prequal portals and insurers ask for, and it is the foundation your site-specific plans and hazard analyses build on.
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