From Jan. 1, 2022, the Safety Culture Ladder will be mandatory

Unfortunately, many industrial accidents still occur each year due to unsafe practices. It is important to focus within your company on consciously acting safely. Certify your company using the safety culture ladder (SCL). This is an assessment method to measure safety awareness and conscious safe action in your company. As of Jan. 1, 2022, the SCL is mandatory for many organizations within the construction industry. Now there are renewed agreements if a company does not have the required SCL proof on January 1. SKG-IKOB helps you properly introduce the Safety Culture Ladder in your company.

Required SCL means of proof

Consultations were recently held between the Safety in Contracting (ViA) working group of the Governance Code Safety in Construction (GCVB) and representatives of the certification bodies (CBs). Due to the huge demand from the construction industry, all capacity for conducting audits and tests is already filled this fall and the first quarter of 2022 is also starting to fill up.

Do you not have the required means of proof by January 1, 2022? Then a signed offer from a certification body with an appointment confirmation for an audit/test will be accepted. In doing so, you must also demonstrate that you have already done a self-assessment before that date.

The ViA working group and the CBs are in close contact about capacity. As soon as there is enough space again, only valid proofs will be accepted.

Certification through SKG-IKOB

By certifying your organization, you take your safety culture to the next level and reduce the number of incidents. The safety culture ladder can be used to demonstrate that a certain level of safety culture has been achieved.

The various options:

  • SCL Original: SKG-IKOB conducts a full audit every year. A certificate is issued, it is valid for 3 years.
  • SCL: SKG-IKOB conducts a full audit in the first year. In the second and third year a follow-up audit of 40 percent. A certificate is issued, valid for 3 years.
  • SCL Light: SKG-IKOB starts with a 40 percent audit in the first year, in the second and third year an action plan takes place. A statement with step indication is issued, valid for 3 years.
  • Approved Self Assessment: this is an evaluation carried out by the company itself, SKG-IKOB checks that this is done process-wise and in the agreed manner. The first year this is done in one day, the second and third year in half a day. A declaration without step indication is issued, valid for 3 years.

What is the Safety Culture Ladder?

The Safety Culture Ladder (formerly: Safety Ladder) is a certification scheme to assess, measure and improve safety awareness and deliberate safe actions. The Safety Culture Ladder is composed of 5 steps. As of 2022, step 2 of the ladder is required, and as of 2024 even step 3. The more responsibility, reflection and investment in safety, the higher the step. The Safety Culture Ladder highlights other aspects than a system audit such as SCC.

Straight to work

SKG-IKOB can provide a quote for Safety Culture Ladder for implementation in 2022. For more information on certification, please contact Monique van Moppes at This email address is being protected from spambots. JavaScript must be enabled to view it..