Audit Safety Culture Ladder
Safety first in your organization
Do you offer your employees a safe working environment? And what about their safety awareness, a major factor in this? It’s difficult to gain an insight without a specific measuring instrument. The Safety Ladder, also known as the Safety Culture Ladder, lets you map out your organization’s safety awareness. An audit then demonstrates that you meet a specific Safety Culture Ladder level. This blog provides answers to the following questions:
- What is the Safety Culture Ladder?
- What steps does the Safety Culture Ladder have?
- How do a Safety Culture Ladder audit and certification work?
What is the Safety Culture Ladder?
The
Safety Culture Ladder
holds up a mirror to your company, offering insights into your employees’ safety awareness which is crucial for the
occupational safety​.
This lets you take any target action which may be required, to accord safety a higher priority throughout the organization. Working with the Safety Culture Ladder has been mandatory in the construction industry since 1 January 2022. That’s logical, because construction involves high safety risks. But the ladder is designed to apply to any organization, which can get serious about safety with a Safety Culture Ladder audit.
What steps does the Safety Culture Ladder have?
The Safety Culture Ladder has five steps or levels. Each step represents a stage a company has reached. The higher the safety awareness, the higher the company is on the ladder:
Step 5 of the Safety Culture Ladder
At step 5 of the Safety Culture Ladder, the organisation acts progressively. Safety is fully integrated into all business processes. It is in the DNA of the company and its employees. Everyone therefore acts safely, in every situation. Even during reflection and evaluation, safety is always on the agenda.
Step 4 of the Safety Culture Ladder
The organisation works proactively. At this step of the Safety Culture Ladder, safety is a high priority for an organisation. There is ongoing investment in raising safety awareness. Employees are encouraged to call each other to account for unsafe actions. In addition, the company thinks ahead and takes the initiative.
Step 3 of the Safety Culture Ladder
The organisation works calculatively. An organisation states that certain safety rules are important. Often self-interest plays a role. An investment in safety must pay off, is the idea. Driving compliance at this level often lies with management.
Step 2 of the Safety Culture Ladder
The organisation is reactive. At this level, an organisation acts only when an accident (almost) occurs. This change behaviour is often short-lived. When it stops, it occurs again only when something goes wrong again.
Step 1 of the Safety Culture Ladder
The organisation acts pathologically at step 1 of the safety ladder. This means that the organisation pays little or no attention to improving safety. Employees believe that everything is going well. Spending extra time on safety is seen as a waste of time.
How do a Safety Culture Ladder audit and certification work?
Do you want to have your company certified for the Safety Culture Ladder? Then you can choose the step you want your company certified for. Here it’s important to make a realistic assessment of the current situation. Then you approach a certifying body, such as DEKRA, to have your company certified. The process begins with a self-assessment, which you perform prior to the audit. During the audit the auditors conduct several interviews and visit projects, to evaluate how employees act on the shop floor. This lets them test whether the self-assessment is correct. After the audit the auditors determine whether your company has indeed reached the intended step on the Safety Culture Ladder. If the result is positive, your organization receives a certificate valid for one year. A new assessment is conducted annually to maintain your Safety Culture Ladder certification.