Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Please click to expand the FAQs below.

What is Tōtika?

Tōtika is a cross-industry pre-qualification standard across New Zealand. It’s a fair and equitable scheme where suppliers only need to pre-qualify once instead of duplicating effort for each new client and opportunity. Avetta pre-qualification is an accredited Tōtika member scheme.

Who is Avetta and what do they do?

Avetta is a Software as a Service (SAAS) company that offers Supply Chain Management and Risk Mitigation Solutions to our Clients and Suppliers.

Avetta works with Clients and Suppliers to ensure company’s performing work are qualified, licensed, and safe companies through vetting of safety statistics.

Avetta also connects Clients with already qualified Suppliers to help them quickly get the services they need with the assurance that the company they are selecting is fit for duty before getting on site or beginning the project.

Avetta pre-qualification is an accredited Tōtika member scheme.

How are the supplier categories defined?

    • Category S – Sole Trader
      • A Category S supplier does not employ staff, does not engage other contractors, contracts independently, and works independently.
    • Category 1 – smaller sized, regular risk activity supplier
      • Employs no more than 20 people;
      • Does not take on contractors with value in excess of NZ$2.5 million; and
      • Will not have a work activity defined in the Tōtika high or very high risk work activity list
    • Category 2 – medium sized or higher risk activity supplier
      • Employs no more than 200 people;
      • Does not take on contractors with value in excess of NZ$20 million; and
      • Will not engage in a primary work activity defined in the Tōtika very high risk work activity list
    • Category 3 – large sized or very high risk supplier
      • Employs more than 200 people; and/or
      • Takes on contracts with value in excess of NZ$20 million; and/or
      • Has a primary work activity defined in the Tōtika very high risk work activity list

Are there additional requirements for Principal / Lead Contractors or Designers?

Suppliers who operate as lead or principal contractors or designers can be allocated to any supplier category.

These suppliers must meet the supplementary requirements for lead/principal contractors/designers in addition to the relevant core requirements for their category.

What activities are in the Tōtika high risk work activity list?

  • Abseiling/Rope Access
  • Arborist Services
  • Biohazards or Infectious Materials Services
  • Chemical Cleaning Services
  • Commercial Cleaning Services
  • Construction Rigger
  • Drain Laying Services
  • Drilling Services (Non-Hydrocarbon)
  • Electrical services
  • Facilities Management Services
  • Forestry Silver culture
  • Glazing
  • Heavy Transport
  • Industrial Coating Services
  • Installation and Maintenance of Fire Systems
  • Installation and Servicing of Hydraulic Systems
  • Installation and Servicing of Lifts
  • Installation and Servicing of Plant and Equipment
  • Installation or Servicing of Pressure Vessels
  • Labour Hire Services
  • Mobile Plant and Equipment Servicing
  • Operated Mobile Plant & Equipment Hire Services
  • Passenger Transport
  • Quarrying Services
  • Recycling Services
  • Roofing Services
  • Sandblasting Services
  • Surface Mining Services
  • Traffic Management Services
  • Trenching Services
  • Waste Management Services

What activities are in the Tōtika very high risk work activity list?

  • Asbestos Removal
  • Building Relocation
  • Commercial Diving Services
  • Demolition Services
  • Drilling Services (Hydrocarbon)
  • Explosive Blasting Services
  • Fixed Wing Flight Services
  • Forestry Harvesting/Extraction Services
  • Fuel Supply or Storage
  • Gas Services (High Pressure)
  • Hazardous Substances Storage and Transport
  • Helicopter Flight Services
  • High Voltage Electrical Services
  • High Wall Quarrying Services
  • High Wall Surface Mining Services
  • Scaffolding Erection and Dismantling
  • Stevedoring/Marshalling Services
  • Mobile Crane Services
  • Tower Crane Services
  • Underground Mining Services

How is the Avetta Tōtika scheme review scored?

Question Score Description
0 No evidence provided
1 Evidence provided not adequately related to or answering the question
2 Evidence provided relates to the question but does not meet the Tōtika Performing Standard
3 Evidence provided meets the Tōtika Performing Standard
4 Evidence provided exceeds the Tōtika Performing Standard

The above scoring process allows each question, and therefore each section, and the overall pre-qualification percentages to be provided (based on quartiles at a question level).

Where do I register in the system?

Select the REGISTER NOW button at the top of the page to find Tōtika’s pre-qualification to register your business.

What benefit does Tōtika’s Pre-qualification have for contractors?

Registration ensures contracting companies are qualified to work in New Zealand. It allows them to keep company information up to date in one place online, and to ensure their company documents are always correct and current.

How much does company registration in the system cost?

The cost of registration is dependent on which supplier category your company is in:

    • Category S – Sole Trader, $199 +GST every 2 years (billed annually)
    • Category 1, $399 + GST every 2 years (billed annually)
    • Category 2, $899+ GST each year
    • Category 3, $1299 + GST each year

Registration covers the verification of documents, updating of profile, email reminders, and access to local support teams.

If your organisation is ISO45001 accredited by an IAF Accreditation Body Member for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, then you do not require a prequalification assessment. You can visit totika.org directly to upload your ISO45001 document and once verified you will be listed in its database.

What is ISO 14001?

ISO 1400 is known as a generic management system standard, meaning that it is relevant to any organisation seeking to improve and manage resources more effectively.

ISO 14001 sets out the criteria for an Environment Management System (EMS). It does not state requirements for environmental performance, but maps out a framework that a company or organisation can follow to set up an effective EMS. Using ISO 1400 can provide assurance to company management and employees as well as external stakeholders that environmental impact is being measured and improved.

The ISO 14001 standard is based on the Plan-Check-Do-Review-Improve cycle. The Plan cycle deals with the beginning stages of an organization becoming ISO 14001-compliant. The Check cycle deals with checking and correcting errors. The Do cycle is the implementation and operation of the ISO 14001 standard within an organisation. The Review cycle is a review of the entire process by the organization’s top management. And the Improve cycle is a cycle that never ends as an organisation continually finds ways to improve their EMS.

Certified companies will have a certificate that bears a stamp similar to the one below. The stamp can vary in size, colour and shape, it can even be embedded within the companies logo, but the key identifier is the words ISO 14001 Certified or ISO 14001 Registered.

Benefits of ISO 14001 Certification:

By completing ISO 14001 certification your organisation can assure stakeholders that your environmental management system (EMS) meets international industry specific environmental standards. Every company large and small; industrial, manufacturing, services, or trade related had an impact on the environment and can therefore benefit from ISO 14001 certification.

  • Identify cost savings with greater emphasis on resource, waste and energy management
  • Develop the corporate image and credibility
  • Quantify, monitor and control the impact of operations on the environment, now and in the future
  • Ensure legislative awareness and compliance
  • Improve environmental performance of supply chain
  • Protect the company, assets, shareholders and directors
  • Potentially decrease public liability insurance costs for your organisation
  • Grow your access to business partners and potential customers

What is ISO 45001?

ISO 45001 is an international standard that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, with guidance for its use, to enable an organisation to proactively improve its OH&S performance in preventing injury and ill-health.

ISO 45001 is intended to be applicable to any organisation regardless of its size, type and nature. All of its requirements are intended to be integrated into an organisation’s own management processes.

ISO 45001 enables an organisation, through its OH&S management system, to integrate other aspects of health and safety, such as worker wellness/wellbeing; however, it should be noted that an organisation can be required by applicable legal requirements to also address such issues.

Certified companies will have a certificate that bears a stamp similar to the one below. The stamp can vary in size, colour and shape, it can even be embedded within the companies logo, but the key identifier is the words ISO 45001 Certified or ISO 45001 Registered.

Benefits of using ISO 45001:

An ISO 45001 based OH&S management system will enable an organisation to improve its OH&S performance by:

  • developing and implementing an OH&S policy and OH&S objectives
  • establishing systematic processes which consider its “context” and which take into account its risks and opportunities, and its legal and other requirements
  • determining the hazards and OH&S risks associated with its activities; seeking to eliminate them, or putting in controls to minimise their potential effects
  • establishing operational controls to manage its OH&S risks and its legal and other requirements
  • increasing awareness of its OH&S risks
  • evaluating its OH&S performance and seeking to improve it, through taking appropriate actions
  • ensuring workers take an active role in OH&S matters

In combination these measures will ensure that an organisation’s reputation as a safe place to work will be promoted, and can have more direct benefits, such as:

  • improving its ability to respond to regulatory compliance issues
  • reducing the overall costs of incidents
  • reducing downtime and the costs of disruption to operations
  • reducing the cost of insurance premiums
  • reducing absenteeism and employee turnover rates
  • recognition for having achieved an international benchmark (which may in turn influence customers who are concerned about their social responsibilities

What is the process when resubmitting my assessment?

If you have corrective actions to be addressed, you will receive automatic notification. Simply select the LOG IN button at the top of the page.

Access the auditor’s comments. You will need to provide further evidence or information and resubmit the assessment for review. The auditing team will then provide further feedback within 5 working days.

How do I renew?

The annual subscription fee will be automatically deducted from your account at the time of renewal. If you are required to do an annual assessment, you will be notified to log back into Connect to resubmit.

How do I add and manage users?

If you need to add additional users, click here for instruction.

How do I remove a client connection?

If you choose the wrong Totika Category or accidently add another client, click here for instructions on how to remove the connection.

Membership and billing

If you have questions about your invoice or membership, click here.

How can I get a refund? 

If you believe you need a refund, please refer to the End User Service Agreement for more details.

How is this new system different to the Pegasus Totika Pre-qualification?

The process is much the same and the fees are unchanged but there are a few subtle differences. For more information, click here.

Who do I contact if I have questions about the system?

You can contact Avetta who manages the system. Visit Contact Us for details.

Complaint Process

We endeavor to give you, our customer, a premium customer experience. In the unfortunate event you may wish to make a complaint please send to admin-nz@avetta.com.

The complaint will then be lodged in the Avetta Pre-qualification Corrective Action Register and reviewed within 48 hours of being received.

Please include the following contact information in your communications:

  • first and last name of person making the complaint;
  • your company name;
  • the position you hold within the company; and
  • your email address and contact phone numbers

Once the issue has been resolved, all parties will receive written communication advising of the outcome and/or solution.

If the issue is unable to be resolved, you may escalate your complaint to Tōtika directly.  Please go to the Tōtika website link https://www.totika.org/contact and complete their online form or phone Tōtika on 07 542 0857.