Contractor Management Software
for South Africa.
Section 37.2 of the OHS Act makes you liable for your contractors. SHEQ24 digitises contractor safety file management, automates document expiry tracking, and ensures no contractor touches a spanner on your site without a current, compliant safety file — and a signed Section 37.2 agreement.
Your Contractors. Your Liability.
Without a Section 37.2 agreement, the principal employer retains full OHS Act liability for every contractor employee on site. SHEQ24 closes this gap before work begins.
Without SHEQ24
- Paper safety files lost or incomplete
- Expired insurance discovered after an incident
- No record of who was inducted on which date
- Section 37.2 agreements unsigned or missing
With SHEQ24
- Digital safety files with expiry tracking
- Automatic alerts before documents expire
- Individual induction records per employee
- Digital Section 37.2 signatures with timestamps
Legal Outcome
- Full audit trail for DoL inspections
- Evidence of due diligence for litigation
- Section 16(2) appointee protected
- ISO 45001 Clause 8.1.4 satisfied
Complete Contractor Compliance, Automated
From safety file submission to induction completion — every contractor compliance requirement managed in one platform.
Contractor Safety File Portal
Contractors upload their mandatory safety file documents directly to the portal before they set foot on site. Section 37.2 agreements, risk assessments, method statements, competency certificates, and insurance documents — all in one place.
Automatic Expiry Blocking
When a contractor document expires — public liability insurance, competency certificate, or medical fitness — the system automatically flags the contractor as non-compliant and alerts the responsible site manager.
Digital Section 37.2 Agreements
Generate, distribute, and obtain digital signatures on Section 37.2 OHS Act agreements before any contractor commences work. Legally binding electronic signatures with timestamp and IP address logging.
Induction Record Management
Track site-specific induction completion for every contractor employee. Induction records are linked to the individual, not just the company — ensuring every person on site has been inducted, not just the supervisor.
Competency Certificate Verification
Store and track expiry dates for all competency certificates — scaffolding, rigging, electrical, first aid, and more. Automated alerts ensure certificates are renewed before they expire.
CIDB Grading & Construction Compliance
Maintain CIDB registration records, grading certificates, and Construction Regulation health and safety plan documentation for all principal contractors and subcontractors on your projects.
Section 37.2 and the Construction Regulations: What South African Employers Must Know
Section 37.2 of the OHS Act is one of the most misunderstood provisions in South African occupational health and safety law. Many employers believe that appointing a contractor transfers all OHS liability to that contractor. It does not. Without a written Section 37.2 agreement that clearly allocates responsibilities, the principal employer retains full liability for the health and safety of the contractor's employees while they are on the principal's premises.
The Construction Regulations 2014 impose additional obligations on clients and principal contractors. The client must ensure that the principal contractor has prepared a health and safety plan before construction commences. The principal contractor must ensure that every subcontractor has a compliant health and safety file. And every contractor employee must be inducted on the site-specific health and safety rules before commencing work.
SHEQ24 digitises the entire contractor compliance chain. Section 37.2 agreements are generated, distributed, and signed digitally before work commences. Safety files are submitted through the contractor portal and reviewed against a configurable checklist. Induction records are captured per individual, not per company. And when any document expires, the system alerts the responsible person before the expiry date — not after the DoL inspector arrives.
Managing contractors across multiple sites?
Our OHS compliance specialists have helped South African construction, mining, and manufacturing operations build contractor management systems that satisfy both DoL inspectors and ISO 45001 certification bodies.
Speak to a Contractor Compliance SpecialistRelated SHEQ24 Modules
Contractor management works best as part of an integrated SHEQ platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Section 37.2 of the OHS Act require from South African employers?+
Section 37.2 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 requires that where an employer (the principal) appoints a contractor to perform work on their premises, a written agreement must be concluded between the parties specifying the health and safety responsibilities of each party. Without this agreement, the principal employer retains full liability for the contractor's employees. SHEQ24 digitises the Section 37.2 agreement process, ensuring every contractor on site has a current, signed agreement before work commences.
What documents must be in a contractor safety file in South Africa?+
A contractor safety file for South African operations typically includes: the Section 37.2 agreement, the contractor's OHS policy, risk assessments for the work to be performed, method statements, proof of employee induction, copies of relevant competency certificates (e.g., scaffolding, rigging, electrical), equipment inspection records, and the contractor's public liability insurance certificate. Under the Construction Regulations 2014, the health and safety file must also include the health and safety plan. SHEQ24 manages all these documents with automated expiry alerts.
How does SHEQ24 prevent contractors with expired documents from accessing site?+
SHEQ24 tracks the expiry date of every document in a contractor's safety file. When a document expires — whether it is a public liability insurance certificate, a competency certificate, or a medical fitness certificate — the system automatically flags the contractor as non-compliant and alerts the responsible site manager. The platform can be configured to generate access control notifications, ensuring that site access is only granted to contractors whose safety files are fully current and compliant.
Does SHEQ24 support CIDB contractor vetting requirements?+
Yes. SHEQ24 supports CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board) contractor vetting by maintaining records of CIDB grading certificates, contractor registration numbers, and associated expiry dates. The platform also supports the health and safety file requirements of the Construction Regulations 2014, including the mandatory health and safety plan that principal contractors must submit to clients before construction commences. For South African construction clients, SHEQ24 provides the contractor management infrastructure required to satisfy both CIDB and OHS Act obligations.
Close your Section 37.2 liability gap today.
Deploy a contractor management system that ensures every contractor on your site has a current safety file, a signed Section 37.2 agreement, and a completed induction record — before they touch a single tool.