Voor wie werk je als QHSE-manager?
Voor de auditor of voor de mensen in je organisatie? Wij hopen natuurlijk op het laatste, maar wij kennen ook voorbeelden van het eerste.
In work environments where it matters, the idea has emerged that safety should be a culture. ProRail therefore developed the Safety Ladder in 2012. This was handed over to NEN in 2016 and further developed into the current Safety Culture Ladder (SCL). It is an integral approach towards safety at work. The SCL drives a proactive approach rather than a reactive one.
In construction, clients who have signed the Governance Code for Safety in Construction (GCVB) include safety awareness in tenders and contracts. This is called Safety in Tendering (ViA). From June 1, 2026, step 3 of the NEN Safety Culture Ladder will be used as an obligation in this regard. There are various forms of certification for different levels of opportunity and impact: from approved self-assessment to a full SCL certificate.
So in addition to the already existing RI&E and VCA, from then on the construction world will have an additional angle to encourage safe working. Why is that necessary and what exactly does this new angle add?
De safety culture ladder certificering
With certification on the Safety Culture Ladder, actual safety behavior is audited, which is completely different from a usual system audit such as an SCC. You can only achieve a higher certification if you pay more attention to safety. It is not an investment in a certificate, but an investment in employee safety.
Companies will have to look differently at existing rules, analyses, evaluations, checklists and toolboxes. In the philosophy of the Safety Culture Ladder, it is especially important to consciously analyze and communicate where you can achieve your most important improvements. So that is not the same as checking off the same ten toolboxes on autopilot every year.
Cultuurverandering
Companies - including those in construction - are constantly dealing with change. Working conditions and safety will also keep changing. That is why it is a good idea to stay sharp on the toolboxes you use at all times. And also on the content of those toolboxes and how they are created. Perhaps your company is increasingly employing young people through BBL pathways. Then it might be a good idea to create new toolboxes to help these young people work safely. Above all, actively involve those young people themselves in putting together the toolboxes that concern them directly. That too is culture change.
The Safety Culture Ladder is ultimately about actual behavior. So the question is not just whether you are using the right set of toolboxes. Or whether those toolboxes have been gone through and practiced with everyone involved. The main question is also what you, as the person responsible, have done to apply those toolboxes as effectively as possible. And what you have done to proactively improve awareness and behavior on the construction site.
Organizations can learn a lot from construction. If you are striving to create a culture of safe working, it is a good idea to take a look at that SCL. The SCL is designed to be applicable to all sectors and types of organizations. This philosophy helps organizations get safety into the DNA of the organization.
Kwaliteitsmanagement software voor de safety culture ladder
A good tool for organizations that want to put security into practice is well-thought-out management software. And for that, in turn, you can turn to us. ISO2HANDLE's Saas solution is versatile, powerful and user-friendly.
Want to know more about that? Book a short online demo now
