If you have ‘dependent’ contractors (companies that work for you all of the time) you can include them in your count and they will need to be fully incorporated into your safety program just as if they were employees.  If you choose not to include them in your count, then those contractors will have to attain their own SAFE Companies certification. Remember also, that as soon as your contractors work for someone else, they are no longer “dependent” and they are required to register with the SAFE Companies program and obtain their own SAFE certification.