Customized support for security awareness

Safety behavior is becoming less casual

Until now, construction and construction-related companies have been deciding for themselves the extent to which they integrate the principles and core values of the Safety Ladder into their operations. That will change, however, as major clients in the construction industry will include safety awareness as an obligation in tenders and contracts starting in 2021 from the Governance Code for Safety in Construction (GCVB).

The signatories to the GCVB have agreed in the 'Safety in Tendering' (ViA) process that they will only select parties who can demonstrate sufficient safety awareness within the organization using the Safety Ladder. IMR Advies supports organizations with a customized approach to arrange this quickly and effectively.

Divergent possibilities

How the Safety Ladder is applied depends on the type and size of the construction project. "For a low construction project, for example, a self-assessment is sufficient to demonstrate safety awareness," says Mark van den Berg, senior project consultant at IMR Advies. "More complex projects and projects with a higher contract value already require an experience audit, in which safety awareness is tested by an independent certification body. And then there is the regular certification with a broad audit at the office and some ongoing work sites."

Becoming self-aware

IMR Advice now has extensive experience in applying the Safety Ladder and believes that a customized approach gives the best results. "In fact, I would say to anyone who needs to comply with the Safety Ladder in any way, 'Please contact us.' We can help choose the option that suits the organization, perform the self-assessment and follow up on the actions needed to comply with the Safety Ladder, such as writing work instructions, educating employees and supervising audits by the certification body. What is certain is that the organization becomes more self-aware. Some discover that many things are already well organized; others realize that there is still much to do. In both cases, the first step toward safety awareness has already been taken."