Tōtika Pre-qualification for Contractors - Requirements, Evidence and Assessment Guide
Tōtika assessors look for evidence of an active H&S system. ThinkSafe helps you collect and organise that evidence through your daily operations.
What Tōtika Assessors Actually Look For
Tōtika assesses whether your health and safety system is actively used in day-to-day operations, not just written in documents. Assessors look for current, practical evidence across areas such as:
Leadership, H&S policy and worker participation
Hazard identification and risk management in practice
Incident and near-miss reporting, investigations and follow-up actions
Training, competency records and verification
Contractor and subcontractor management processes
Equipment maintenance, inspections and monitoring activities
Emergency preparedness and response
Continuous improvement and corrective actions
Need support with other pre-qualification schemes?
The same evidence you collect in ThinkSafe can usually be reused across other New Zealand pre-qualification schemes:
The challenge: Most contractors have some of this in place, but struggle to demonstrate it with organised, current evidence.
Build Evidence Through Daily Operations
Complete Documentation
H&S Plan and range of policies
Procedure library and risk register
Created when you join, accessible in your Portal
Real-Time Evidence Collection
Site inspections, hazard reports, incidents
Captured on-site via mobile app
Timestamped, geotagged, photo evidence
Works offline in any location
HASANZ-Registered Support
Tōtika-specific guidance
Understand what assessors look for
Troubleshooting when needed
Expert advisory included
What's Included in Your Free Trial
When you start your ThinkSafe trial, you get immediate access to:
✓ Tōtika Application Support Guide
→ Question-by-question breakdown of what assessors check
→ How to build compelling, evidence-based responses
→ Which ThinkSafe forms provide the best evidence
→ Common red flags and how to avoid them
✓ Complete HSMS Library
→ H&S Plan, policies, and risk register
→ Procedure library and templates
→ Available in your Portal once you join
✓ Evidence Collection System
→ Start gathering proof of practice immediately
→ Mobile app works offline
→ Instant worker access from any device
✓ HASANZ-Registered Advisory
→ Expert support when you need it
→ 0800 600 004
Demonstrating Genuine Practice
Tōtika assessors want to see your system in action. Examples of evidence ThinkSafe helps you collect:
Pre-start hazard assessments from actual job sites
Weekly toolbox talk records with worker signatures
Safety inspection reports with photos and corrective actions
Incident investigations showing root cause analysis
Training records with dates, topics, and competency checks
Subcontractor induction records
Equipment maintenance logs
The difference: This isn't retrospective form-filling. It's capturing real work as it happens.
Built for Time-Poor Contractors
You don't need a dedicated safety manager to meet Tōtika requirements. You need a system that works with how your team actually operates.
Ideal for:
✔ Construction companies of any size
✔ Trade contractors
✔ Service businesses
✔ Anyone needing Tōtika for main contractor requirements
$59 + GST/month
(12-month term)
Includes 1 user + up to 5 devices, complete documentation, mobile app, and HASANZ support.
Start Building Your Evidence Today
14-Day Free Trial
✓ Full platform access
✓ Download Tōtika guide immediately
✓ No credit card required
✓ Start collecting evidence today
Questions?
Call: 0800 600 004
Email: info@thinksafe.co.nz
Our HASANZ-registered advisors are available to help with your pre-qualification questions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tōtika
Q1. What is Tōtika contractor prequalification and why is it required?
Tōtika is New Zealand’s national contractor health and safety prequalification framework used by councils, infrastructure clients and major organisations to verify that contractors have a functioning health and safety system before work is awarded. It replaces multiple duplicated prequalification processes with one recognised standard that many buyers accept.
Q2. What do Tōtika assessors actually look for in an assessment?
Assessors focus on whether your system is actively operating, not just documented. Evidence typically includes hazard and risk assessments, toolbox meetings, incident and near-miss reports, training and induction records, worker participation and proof that corrective actions are completed — ideally from the last 3–6 months.
Q3. How does ThinkSafe help contractors prepare for Tōtika?
ThinkSafe provides the documentation and live evidence assessors expect to see, including:
A complete H&S plan, policies and risk register
Mobile tools for inspections, hazard reports, incidents and meetings
Time-stamped, signed records that prove active system use
HASANZ-registered advisory support to help you choose and present relevant evidence
ThinkSafe does not guarantee outcomes — we help you operate a functioning, evidence-based system.
Start your 14-day free trial to see how the system works in practice.
Q4. How much does Tōtika prequalification cost?
The Tōtika assessment fee is paid directly to the approved provider and varies by contractor size and risk category. Many businesses also pay consultants to prepare evidence — ThinkSafe membership ($59 + GST/month, 12-month term) helps reduce consultant dependence by enabling you to build and maintain your own system and submit your own evidence.
Q5. How long does a Tōtika assessment take to complete?
Timeframes depend on how complete and organised your submission is. Contractors who already have recent activity records and evidence typically complete the process faster than those compiling documents at the last minute.
Q6. Do I need a full-time health and safety manager to meet Tōtika requirements?
No. Tōtika expects systems and evidence that are proportionate to the size and risk of your business. ThinkSafe enables owners, supervisors and workers to contribute to safety records through simple mobile workflows — without requiring a dedicated H&S manager.
Q7. Can ThinkSafe guarantee that my business will achieve Tōtika approval?
No — Tōtika assessments are carried out independently by approved providers. They make their own decisions based on the information and evidence you submit. ThinkSafe supports your preparation and evidence quality but does not influence scoring or approval decisions.
Q8. How often do I need to renew my Tōtika prequalification?
Tōtika is generally renewed annually, and assessors expect to see current, recent evidence at each renewal. Because ThinkSafe captures records continuously, renewal usually becomes a simple process of exporting existing live evidence.
Q9. Is Tōtika accepted by all clients or do I still need other schemes?
Tōtika is widely accepted across many industries, but some buyers still request SiteWise, IMPAC PREQUAL or SHE Pre-Qual. The advantage of ThinkSafe is that the same evidence can normally support multiple prequalification assessments.
ThinkSafe's pre-qualification guides are developed with HASANZ-registered health and safety professionals. Our goal is to help contractors understand scheme requirements and demonstrate genuine H&S practice—because the best way to meet pre-qualification standards is to actually operate a working safety system.
Freephone: 0800 600 004
E-Mail: info@thinksafe.co.nz
