ISNetworld RAVS Requirements: Complete Guide

What is ISNetworld RAVS?

ISNetworld is a contractor management platform used by refineries, utilities, petrochemical facilities, commercial construction firms, and large general contractors to pre-qualify subcontractors before awarding work. The Review and Verification Service (RAVS) is ISNetworld's document review function — the process through which ISNetworld staff evaluate submitted safety programs, policies, and procedures against a set of client-defined requirements.

When a hiring client onboards to ISNetworld, they define a custom library of safety elements they require of their contractors. RAVS reviewers then evaluate each contractor's submitted documents against those elements. A program is marked either Meeting Requirements (MR) or Not Meeting Requirements (NMR). Submissions rated NMR can be revised and resubmitted, but each cycle adds review time — typically 5 to 15 business days — and delays the contractor's ability to work on that client's sites.

RAVS status directly affects the contractor's ISNetworld grade. ISNetworld calculates an overall contractor score that incorporates RAVS program ratings alongside lagging indicators (Total Recordable Incident Rate, Days Away Restricted and Transfer rate, Experience Modification Rate) and insurance compliance. A contractor with outstanding NMR programs cannot achieve the grade threshold required by many hiring clients, effectively blocking them from bidding or mobilizing on covered projects. For a broader overview of the platform, see our ISNetworld contractor guide.

Why hiring clients require RAVS

Hiring clients mandate ISNetworld RAVS compliance for three primary reasons: risk transfer, regulatory obligation, and insurance underwriting requirements.

Risk transfer. Under the multi-employer citation policy, OSHA can cite a controlling employer (the GC or owner) for hazards created by subcontractors if the controlling employer knew or should have known of the condition (OSHA Instruction CPL 02-00-124). Requiring contractors to maintain and document safety programs is a mechanism for demonstrating due diligence. A hiring client that verifies written programs through ISNetworld has a documented record that it exercised reasonable care in contractor selection.

Regulatory obligation. Under 29 CFR 1926.16, prime contractors and subcontractors on federal construction contracts share responsibility for safety. Industrial clients subject to OSHA's Process Safety Management standard (29 CFR 1910.119) are specifically required to evaluate contractor safety performance and communicate known hazards — contractor program review satisfies part of that obligation.

Insurance underwriting. Contractors with documented, current safety programs typically present lower risk profiles during insurance renewals. Some liability carriers require verified contractor management programs as a policy condition for large construction projects.

How RAVS scoring works

ISNetworld does not publish a universal RAVS rubric because requirements are hiring-client specific. Each client activates a set of safety elements from ISNetworld's library — elements covering topics such as fall protection, lockout/tagout, hazard communication, and drug and alcohol policy. The active element list for any given hiring client determines exactly what your written programs must address.

RAVS reviewers evaluate submissions against a structured checklist for each element. Common evaluation criteria include:

• Whether the program addresses the specific regulatory standard cited (e.g., 29 CFR 1926.501 for fall protection on construction sites).
• Whether the program includes a management commitment statement or policy signed by company leadership.
• Whether responsibilities are assigned — identifying who is responsible for implementation, training, and inspection.
• Whether training requirements are defined, including frequency and documentation method.
• Whether the program contains the contractor's company name and is not an obviously generic template.
• Whether procedures are specific to the hazards the contractor's trade actually encounters.

A submission that checks all required criteria for an element is rated MR. A submission that is missing required elements, cites inapplicable standards, or consists of a clearly unmodified boilerplate document is rated NMR and returned with reviewer comments identifying the deficiencies. Contractors have the ability to revise and resubmit — there is no limit on resubmissions — but each round takes time and each NMR delays work authorization on that client's projects.

For a deeper breakdown of how ISNetworld calculates your overall contractor score, see our ISNetworld RAVS score guide.

Required written programs by trade

Every contractor in ISNetworld must maintain a set of core programs regardless of trade. Beyond those, hiring clients typically require trade-specific programs that address the particular hazards associated with the work being performed.

Universal baseline programs (all trades)

The following programs appear in virtually every ISNetworld hiring client's element list:

• Hazard Communication (HazCom) — must align with the OSHA HazCom standard at 29 CFR 1910.1200 (general industry) or 29 CFR 1926.59 (construction). Must include SDS management, labeling requirements, employee training, and a chemical inventory process.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) — under 29 CFR 1926.95, must include hazard assessment procedures, PPE selection criteria, training requirements, and employee acknowledgment process.
• Emergency Action Plan — under 29 CFR 1910.38 (or 29 CFR 1926.35 for construction), must include emergency reporting, evacuation procedures, assembly points, and designated roles.
• Incident Investigation — must define triggers for investigation, root cause analysis methodology, corrective action tracking, and management review process.
• Drug and Alcohol Policy — must define prohibited substances and conduct, testing triggers (pre-employment, post-incident, reasonable suspicion), consequences, and return-to-work conditions. Vague policies that only prohibit "being under the influence" without specifying testing protocols are frequently rated NMR.
• Safety Training and Communication — must define how and when safety training is delivered, how completion is documented, and the process for site-specific orientation.

Electrical contractors

Electrical contractors face electrical safety element requirements that go beyond the baseline. Key programs include:

• Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) — must align with 29 CFR 1910.147. Programs must include energy control procedures, authorized vs. affected employee distinctions, periodic inspection requirements, and documented equipment-specific procedures.
• Electrical Safety Work Practice — must address energized electrical work in accordance with 29 CFR 1926.400–449 and NFPA 70E. Must include qualified vs. unqualified worker definitions, approach boundary distances, arc flash hazard analysis, and energized work permit procedures.
• Arc Flash Protection — programs must address arc flash hazard identification, PPE category selection (per NFPA 70E Table 130.5(G) or incident energy analysis), and documentation of arc flash labels or studies.

For contractors working on both construction and general industry sites, programs must reference the applicable CFR part for each setting — reviewers flag programs that cite only one standard when the contractor's scope includes both.

Roofing contractors

Roofing work involves elevated surfaces that trigger specific RAVS elements beyond the general fall protection requirement:

• Fall Protection Plan — under 29 CFR 1926.502, must address the specific fall hazards present in roofing: leading edges, roof openings, skylights, low-slope vs. steep-slope surfaces, and perimeter protection. The plan must identify which fall protection systems will be used and when conventional fall protection is infeasible.
• Ladder Safety — under 29 CFR 1926.1053, must address ladder inspection, setup angles, tie-off requirements, and prohibited practices.
• Heat Illness Prevention — for contractors working in warm climates or during summer months, many hiring clients require a heat illness prevention program covering acclimatization, hydration protocols, emergency response, and work-rest ratios. OSHA does not yet have a final heat standard, but existing General Duty Clause obligations and several state standards (California, Colorado, Minnesota, Washington) establish enforceable requirements.
• Struck-by and Falling Object Protection — under 29 CFR 1926.502(j), programs must address toeboards, debris nets, or equivalent protection when workers below are exposed to falling objects.

General contractors and construction managers

GCs and construction managers face the broadest RAVS element libraries because their scope encompasses all trades working under them:

• Subcontractor Safety Management — must define how the GC evaluates, qualifies, and monitors subcontractors. Programs should address contractor pre-qualification criteria, site orientation requirements, and the process for addressing subcontractor non-compliance.
• Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) / Activity Hazard Analysis — must define the process for identifying hazards before non-routine tasks begin, including who performs the JHA, how workers are involved, and how completed JHAs are documented.
• Site-Specific Safety Plan — many industrial hiring clients require a process for developing a site-specific plan prior to mobilization, incorporating client site rules, emergency contacts, and project-specific hazards.

HVAC contractors

HVAC work introduces confined spaces, refrigerant handling, and elevated work that generate specific element requirements:

• Permit-Required Confined Space Entry — under 29 CFR 1910.146 (general industry) or 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA (construction), programs must include space identification and classification, permit issuance and cancellation procedures, attendant and entrant duties, and rescue procedures. Many HVAC contractors work in both settings and need programs that reference both standards.
• Refrigerant Handling and Chemical Safety — programs must address safe handling of refrigerants under the HazCom standard, EPA Section 608 technician certification requirements, and emergency response for refrigerant releases.
• Electrical Safety — HVAC technicians regularly perform energized work on equipment panels; programs must address LOTO and electrical safety work practices consistent with 29 CFR 1910.147 and NFPA 70E.

For a complete list of programs required by trade, see our ISNetworld required programs guide.

Common reasons contractors fail RAVS reviews

ISNetworld RAVS reviewers see the same deficiencies repeatedly. Understanding the most frequent failure patterns saves revision cycles:

• Generic boilerplate with no company identity. Programs that do not include the contractor's company name anywhere in the document are routinely rated NMR. Reviewers cannot verify that the program belongs to the submitting contractor. Every program must be on company letterhead or include the company name in the header or policy statement.
• Missing management commitment statement. Most element checklists require a signed or clearly attributed statement from company leadership acknowledging the policy. A program that lists procedures without a commitment statement from management is missing a required element.
• No defined training frequency or documentation method. Programs that state employees "will be trained" without specifying when, how often, and how completion is documented leave reviewers unable to confirm that the training requirement is met. Programs should specify initial training at hire, annual refresher cadence, and the form of documentation (sign-in sheets, training records, electronic logs).
• Inapplicable or outdated regulatory citations. Citing a general industry standard (29 CFR 1910) for work that takes place entirely on construction sites, or referencing a superseded edition of a consensus standard, signals that the program was not written for the contractor's actual work scope. Reviewers flag these mismatches.
• Drug and alcohol policy lacks testing triggers. Policies that only prohibit impairment without defining post-incident, reasonable suspicion, and return-to-work testing protocols are consistently returned NMR by hiring clients that operate under Department of Transportation or industry-standard drug testing requirements.
• Programs do not address all work types the contractor performs. A contractor that performs both commercial roofing and interior work but submits only a roofing fall protection program without addressing interior elevated surfaces will receive NMR on the elements covering those gaps.
• Confined space program classifies all spaces as non-permit-required. HVAC and mechanical contractors who submit confined space programs stating they do not enter permit-required spaces without supporting documentation of a space evaluation are frequently asked to provide evidence of their classification process.

For a deeper look at what reviewers flag and how to address each deficiency, see our guide to passing your ISNetworld RAVS review.

How to prepare your RAVS submission

Approaching RAVS submission systematically reduces revision cycles. The following sequence works for both new submissions and annual re-verifications:

Step 1: Pull your active element list

Log in to ISNetworld and navigate to the RAVS section of your dashboard. Review the element list for each hiring client you are connected to. Note which elements are currently rated NMR or have not yet been submitted, and which hiring clients have the most elements — those clients define the high-water mark for your program library.

Step 2: Identify gaps in your current documentation

Compare your existing written programs against each required element's checklist criteria. ISNetworld's system often displays the specific deficiencies identified by reviewers for NMR elements — use these comments directly to target revisions. For elements you have not yet submitted, work from the element description to identify what components must be present.

Step 3: Build or revise programs with trade-specific content

Each program must be tailored to the specific hazards, standards, and work practices relevant to your trade and to the states where you operate. A contractor licensed in California needs a heat illness prevention program that meets Title 8 CCR §3395, which is more prescriptive than the federal General Duty Clause approach. A contractor working in Nevada must reference state-plan OSHA at Nevada OSHA (NVOSHA) rather than federal OSHA for general industry operations.

Programs should include at minimum: a purpose and scope statement, a management commitment statement, defined responsibilities (who does what), specific procedures aligned with the applicable CFR standard, training requirements with frequency and documentation method, and a review and update cadence (annually at minimum).

Step 4: Submit and track review status

Upload completed programs through the RAVS submission portal. Track status in your dashboard — review turnaround is typically 5 to 15 business days. If an element is returned NMR, read reviewer comments carefully and revise only the flagged sections before resubmitting. Submitting an entirely new document for minor deficiencies restarts the review clock without adding value.

Step 5: Maintain programs annually

ISNetworld verifications expire. Most hiring clients require program re-verification annually. Set a calendar reminder 60 days before your ISNetworld anniversary date to review all programs for regulatory updates and operational changes. Programs that reference specific equipment, trade names, or operational procedures may need to be updated when your scope of work changes. For a full walkthrough of the process, see our ISNetworld RAVS guide for contractors.

Timeline and costs

Contractors new to ISNetworld should plan for the following:

• ISNetworld annual subscription: Contractor fees vary by company size and the number of hiring clients. Entry-level subscriptions typically run approximately $1,190 per year for small contractors; fees scale with the number of connected clients and modules. ISNetworld bills contractors directly — hiring clients do not subsidize contractor fees.
• Initial RAVS review turnaround: 5 to 15 business days per submission batch. Contractors submitting 10 or more programs simultaneously should expect the upper end of that range.
• Revision cycles: Most contractors require at least one revision cycle per element on first submission. Budget an additional 5 to 10 business days per revision round.
• Total time to full compliance from a standing start: 6 to 12 weeks for a contractor building programs from scratch and working through one or two revision cycles. Contractors with existing written programs in reasonable condition typically complete initial verification in 3 to 6 weeks.
• Written program development: If you are starting from scratch or significantly rebuilding your library, the cost depends on whether you develop programs internally, hire a safety consultant, or use a document generation service. In-house development is time-intensive; consultant development ranges widely in cost; document generation services offer a faster and more predictable path for contractors who need trade-specific programs quickly.

What CrewCompliance provides

CrewCompliance generates written safety programs organized around common ISNetworld RAVS documentation topics. Programs are produced from a trade-specific questionnaire that captures your company name, work scope, states of operation, and employee count — the information that distinguishes a substantive submission from a generic template.

The questionnaire covers the baseline programs required across all ISNetworld hiring clients as well as trade-specific modules for electrical, roofing, general construction, HVAC, and other trades. Programs reference the applicable CFR standards for your work type and incorporate state-specific requirements where they exceed federal minimums. Output includes company-branded documents organized to support common ISNetworld RAVS documentation submissions.

The complete program package is a flat $149 — no subscription, no per-program fees. If you are preparing for your first ISNetworld submission or rebuilding a library that has accumulated NMR ratings, the questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes and produces a full program set the same day.

This information is for general reference. ISNetworld requirements vary by hiring client. Consult a qualified safety professional for jurisdiction-specific compliance questions.