For many contractors, the hardest part of growing a business isn’t finding the work; it’s getting qualified to do it.

More and more clients are turning to compliance platforms like ISNetworld®, Avetta®, and Veriforce® to manage vendor approvals. These systems are designed to streamline the process, but for contractors unfamiliar with how they work, they often have the opposite effect.

What looks like a simple document upload can quietly become the reason your bid gets overlooked, your account stalls, or your crew can’t mobilize. If you’re missing work you know you’re qualified for, hidden compliance issues could be the reason.

Let’s take a look at the most common mistakes and what you can do to fix them.

It’s a common question and one we hear often from project leads, estimators, and operations teams:

Are general contractors responsible for their subcontractors’ safety documentation?

In most cases, yes, especially when clients require third-party compliance platforms like ISNetworld®, Avetta®, or Veriforce®. While each project or client may vary slightly, general contractors are usually expected to ensure that all subcontractors on a job site meet the same safety and compliance standards.

Here’s why that responsibility matters and what you can do to stay protected.

When it comes to meeting safety certification requirements, many contractors start by handling things in-house. At first glance, managing your own ISNetworld®, Avetta®, or Veriforce® profile can seem straightforward:  upload some documents, follow the instructions, and you’re done.

But for most teams, the reality looks very different.

What begins as a simple task often becomes a time-consuming, confusing, and stressful process. That’s why so many contractors partner with Industrial Compliance & Safety to help ensure their success with getting approved, as well as helping them stay compliant and ready for every opportunity that comes next.

If your company already has a safety manual in place, it may seem like you have compliance under control. You’ve outlined your safety policies, trained your crew, and made safety a clear part of your operations. So… do you really need outside help?

That’s a fair question, and one we hear often from contractors and small businesses trying to meet client requirements or navigate ISNetworld®, Avetta®, or Veriforce® submissions.

The short answer: your safety manual is a solid foundation, but it’s only one piece of the compliance puzzle. Here’s why that matters.

You may have the safest crew in the region, the most seasoned team, and a spotless track record. But if you can’t prove it on record, it won’t count.

That’s the core of most safety audits, especially those by platforms like ISNetworld®, Veriforce®, and Avetta®.

If you didn’t document it, you didn’t do it.