GUIDES · PROCUREMENT
What is the Common Assessment Standard (SMAS Worksafe Pro)?
A guide to the Common Assessment Standard by Daniel Storr, Founder & Managing Director · Last reviewed 11 September 2026
The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) is the construction industry’s standardised pre-qualification. Build UK and CECA developed it. A recognised body assesses a contractor once a year; SMAS Worksafe Pro is one. The assessment covers health & safety, financial standing, quality, information security and more. Buyers can then rely on that single assessment instead of running their own pre-qualification checks.
ASSESSMENT IN PROGRESS
South Coast Fire Doors has applied for SMAS Worksafe Pro, an assessment against the Common Assessment Standard. The assessment is in progress. We will update this page the day we receive it. Until then, we make no claim to hold it.
Why the Common Assessment Standard exists
Before the Common Assessment Standard, every housing association, council and main contractor ran its own pre-qualification questionnaire. Every contractor filled in dozens of them, all asking roughly the same things. CAS replaced that duplication with one industry-agreed standard from Build UK and CECA. A recognised assessment body assesses the contractor once a year, and any buyer that recognises CAS can rely on the result.
What the Common Assessment Standard covers
CAS assesses a contractor across ten areas: identity, financial standing, corporate and professional standing, health & safety, environmental management, quality management, equality and diversity, modern slavery, insurance, and information security and GDPR. In other words, it looks at the whole picture of whether a company is fit to contract with, not just whether it can do the job on the tools.
Where SMAS Worksafe Pro fits
SMAS is one of the recognised assessment bodies that assess contractors against CAS. Worksafe Pro is the product that delivers it. So a contractor holding SMAS Worksafe Pro has passed an independent assessment against the full standard. For public-sector work the standard carries particular weight. Procurement Policy Note 03/24 steers public buyers towards it for construction pre-qualification; you can find the current notes on gov.uk.
What it means if you are a buyer
If your organisation recognises CAS, a contractor’s current certificate means most of your pre-qualification is already done. An independent body checked the finances, the H&S systems, the insurances and the policies within the last year. As a result, you can spend your diligence where it matters: the quality of the work itself. For fire doors, that means looking at inspection reports, completion documentation and third-party certification of workmanship. We have written a plain-English guide to what third-party fire door certification means.
Where South Coast Fire Doors stands
Our SMAS Worksafe Pro assessment is in progress, alongside our Bluesky third-party certification application for fire door installation, inspection and maintenance. Our accreditations page lists everything we already hold: UKFDT approval, ABBE Level 3 qualified inspection, FPA membership, £10m public liability and £2m professional indemnity. We can send certificates on request.
Common questions
Is the Common Assessment Standard mandatory?
No. It is an industry standard, not a legal requirement. However, many housing associations, councils and main contractors now require it at pre-qualification, and public buyers are steered towards it.
How long does a CAS certificate last?
Twelve months. The assessment body reassesses the contractor every year, so a current certificate always reflects recent checks.
Does CAS tell you the fire door work is good?
Not on its own. It shows the company is fit to contract with. For the quality of the work, look at inspection reports, photographs, completion records and third-party certification of the workmanship.
