Foundation Toolbox

Course Information

Prepare workers for New Zealand Construction Sites

Foundation Toolbox is a foundation health and safety course designed for workers entering or working in the New Zealand construction industry.

The course introduces learners to the essential health and safety knowledge expected before entering construction sites. It supports workers to understand their responsibilities, recognise common site hazards, apply basic risk controls, and prepare for the ConstructSafe Foundation Assessment.

Foundation Toolbox has been developed in alignment with the CHASNZ Site Access Requirements and the ConstructSafe Foundation competency framework. The CHASNZ Site Access Requirements provide industry guidance for improving consistency, competency, and safety across construction sites by setting out a practical pathway that includes foundation health and safety training, independent knowledge assessment, site-specific induction, and appropriate supervision.

The Besafe Foundation Toolbox ConstructSafe Preparation course is referenced in the CHASNZ Site Access Requirements as an example of publicly available foundation health and safety training. This gives employers confidence that learners are completing structured training aligned with construction industry expectations, rather than relying on a generic induction.

Foundation Toolbox can be completed online or in person, giving learners and employers flexibility while keeping the learning outcomes consistent.

Why Complete Foundation Toolbox?

Construction sites need workers who understand more than general health and safety theory. Workers need to understand their responsibilities, the risks around them, and the safe behaviours expected before they enter active worksites.

Foundation Toolbox helps learners build this knowledge before completing the ConstructSafe Foundation Assessment or attending site-specific induction.

For employers, the course supports:

• Worker onboarding
• Site access preparation
• Foundation health and safety training evidence
• Contractor management requirements
• Tender and procurement submissions
• Principal contractor prequalification requests
• Training record visibility and refresher planning

Foundation Toolbox should be viewed as one part of a wider site access and training evidence pathway. Businesses may also need to provide evidence of site-specific induction, supervision, role-specific training, high-risk work training, and current training records depending on the work being performed and the requirements of the principal contractor or client.

Course Options

Learners can choose the delivery option that best suits their needs:

Online: Flexible, self-paced learning for workers who need to complete Foundation Toolbox remotely or in their own time.

In Person: Facilitated training for learners who benefit from trainer support, group discussion, and guided preparation.

Both options support ConstructSafe preparation and provide foundation construction health and safety training aligned with industry site access expectations.

See How Foundation Toolbox Works

Foundation Toolbox includes interactive learning, knowledge checkpoints, and a guided learner journey using Rawhiti, who supports learners through each toolbox module.

What the Course Covers

Foundation Toolbox introduces learners to key foundation health and safety topics, including:

• Health and safety responsibilities
• Worker, contractor, and PCBU responsibilities
• Identifying hazards and understanding risk
• Applying basic controls and safe work practices
• Working at height awareness
• Mobile plant, site traffic, and utilities awareness
• Chemicals and hazardous substances
• Emergency preparedness and response
• Confined and restricted space awareness
• Safe behaviours expected on construction sites
• Preparation for the ConstructSafe Foundation Assessment

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, learners will have developed foundation knowledge to help them:

• Understand their basic health and safety responsibilities on construction sites
• Identify common construction hazards and risks
• Understand how basic risk controls are applied
• Recognise safe and unsafe work practices
• Understand emergency and incident reporting expectations
• Prepare for the ConstructSafe Foundation Assessment
• Contribute more safely and confidently in construction work environments

What You Will Achieve

On completion, learners will receive:

• Foundation Toolbox completion evidence
• ConstructSafe Foundation Assessment preparation
• Recognition of completion for foundation construction health and safety training

Learners who require ConstructSafe assessment can book this separately or as part of a packaged pathway with BeSafe Training.

Who Should Complete Foundation Toolbox?

Foundation Toolbox is recommended for:

• New construction workers
• Apprentices and labourers
• Contractors and subcontractors
• Trade and maintenance workers entering construction sites
• Workers preparing for ConstructSafe
• Employers onboarding workers into construction environments
• Companies wanting foundation training aligned with industry site access expectations

ConstructSafe Preparation

Foundation Toolbox was designed to support learners preparing for the ConstructSafe Foundation Assessment.

ConstructSafe provides an independent assessment of foundation health and safety knowledge across the New Zealand construction industry. Completing Foundation Toolbox before assessment helps learners build the knowledge and confidence required before sitting ConstructSafe.

For learners who need both training and assessment, BeSafe Training can provide a packaged option that includes Foundation Toolbox Online and a scheduled ConstructSafe Foundation Assessment.

Site Access Confidence

Foundation Toolbox supports the CHASNZ Site Access Requirements, which provide recognised guidance for improving consistency, competency, and safety across construction sites.

This gives employers confidence that workers are completing foundation training aligned with current construction industry expectations, while also supporting better learner outcomes through structured preparation for ConstructSafe.

Where a principal contractor or site has a specific branded training requirement, learners and employers should confirm site requirements before attending site.

Supporting Prequalification and Contractor Readiness

Foundation Toolbox can also support businesses preparing training evidence for prequalification, tender submissions, principal contractor onboarding, contractor management systems, council procurement, and site access requirements.

Many businesses are asked to show that their workers have completed appropriate foundation health and safety training and have the knowledge needed for the work they perform. Foundation Toolbox helps provide clear evidence that workers have completed structured foundation training aligned with construction industry expectations.

For employers, this can support stronger conversations with clients and principal contractors by showing that workers have completed recognised foundation training before entering site-based work.

Foundation Toolbox should be used alongside other evidence where required, including site-specific induction, supervision arrangements, role-specific competency, high-risk work training, and up-to-date training records.

Businesses needing a wider review of training evidence can view Besafe Training’s Prequalification Training Readiness support.

Delivery

Online: Approximately 4 hours, self-paced
In Person: Approximately 4 hours, facilitated training

Course Summary

Foundation Toolbox gives construction workers the foundation health and safety knowledge they need before entering site-based work.

With online and in-person delivery available, learners and employers can choose the format that best suits their needs while still completing a course aligned with ConstructSafe preparation, CHASNZ Site Access Requirements, and broader prequalification training readiness.

Applies to