Safety in construction: SCL as a mandatory yardstick

Safety Culture ladder Step 3 is the standard by 2026

Safety in construction is a topic that requires constant attention. Clients that have signed the Governance Code for Safety in Construction (GCVB) have included safety awareness as an obligation in tenders and contracts since Jan. 1, 2022. Since then, Step 2 of the Safety Culture Ladder (SCL) has been the minimum requirement for Safety in Tendering (ViA). On July 1, 2026, the entry level will be raised to Step 3. Audry van der Sanden, SCL project manager at Kiwa: "As long as accidents happen in construction, working on safety will remain a process that will never stop."

The Safety Culture Ladder allows an organization to map out its safety awareness. The instrument was once developed by ProRail, but is now a well-known phenomenon throughout the construction sector and in other industries as well. Major clients and large contractors now make the SCL mandatory, which has given a strong boost to embedding safety and safety awareness in the way we work. Kiwa has been involved in the development of the SCL from the start and, in addition to audit projects, also provides training on the guideline. During this training, organizations gain knowledge of the content of the standard as well as its application in practice. In this way, companies can work step by step on improving their safety culture.

Grinder

Van der Sanden has been involved in safety for almost 30 years. "I have been working for Kiwa as a safety expert for 25 years now and was also active in this field before that. With great pleasure, because it is a very interesting profession in which human behavior plays the leading role. Nobody's starting point is to work unsafely. The question is: Are people aware of what they are doing? If you are going to work with a grinder, it matters whether you think that device can do no harm or whether you do realize the dangers. Then you proceed differently. And so there are countless situations to think of. In addition to this physical safety, you have other areas such as social safety and ICT safety that are important."   

Explaining added value

Making the SCL mandatory forces companies to take safety seriously. "We receive many requests from the construction industry," outlines Van der Sanden. "Larger parties are well able to implement the SCL, smaller organizations sometimes see it as an obstacle beforehand. Then it is important to make it clear what the added value is for the company and for the employees. If management and employees are more aware of safety and adjust their behavior and attitude accordingly, there are fewer unsafe situations and therefore fewer accidents, absenteeism and damage."

Risk sensitivity and risk perception.

Managers play a crucial role in this process, according to Van der Sanden. "In a company that has the preconditions for safe working in place, unsafe working is corrected and employees and hired freelancers adjust their behavior accordingly. You even give them the knowledge and skills to anticipate unsafe situations. Risk sensitivity and risk perception, in fancy words. On the other hand: if these preconditions are not in place or if people are working in a culture of fear, it will remain difficult to break through. But then as a company you will never get past Step 1 of the SCL, which is not called 'pathological' or 'unhealthy' for nothing. Fortunately, awareness is increasing and the SCL is becoming more and more important, partly due to the obligation in tenders, partly due to the recognition of the added value of safety." 

Safety Culture Ladder, version 2.0
SCL once originated in the rail industry, but it has since been used by a wide variety of organizations with heightened safety risks in the workplace. This wider use prompted a revision of the SCL manual and certification scheme. This led to Safety Culture Ladder 2.0, which has been in effect since early 2024. Changes in SCL 2.0 include the safety topics that are assessed. The weighting method has also been modified to include both prerequisite and behavioral aspects. In addition, reporting requirements have been revised so that reports are no longer traceable to individuals.