What is the Safety Culture Ladder?

Author: Patrick Brom

Feb 08, 2023Audit / Safety at work

What does the Safety Culture Ladder mean for organizations?

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 Culture Ladder, also known as the SCL, lets you map out your organization’s safety awareness. An audit then demonstrates that you meet a specific Safety Culture Ladder level. After reading this blog, you will know what the Safety Culture Ladder is all about.

What does the Safety Culture Ladder entail?

Many organizations are asking: what is the Safety Culture Ladder exactly and how does it contribute to a strong safety culture? 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: Progressive
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: Proactive
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: Calculating
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: Reactive
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: Pathological
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.

Is the Safety Culture Ladder mandatory?

As previously stated at the beginning of the page, step 2 of the Safety Culture Ladder has been mandatory in the construction sector since Jan. 1, 2022. Apart from that, the Safety Culture Ladder is currently not mandatory by law, but it is increasingly being made a requirement by certain industries and clients, especially in the construction and infrastructure sector. In the Netherlands and other European countries, some companies and government agencies require their suppliers and partners to be certified to the Safety Culture Ladder to demonstrate that they have a strong safety and risk culture.

In the future from July 1, 2026, step 3 of the Safety Culture Ladder will be mandatory for companies that have signed the Governance Code for Safety in Construction (GCVB). Then these companies, which compete for tenders in construction, must be able to demonstrate that they comply with Safety Culture Ladder Step 3. Other companies are not required to comply with step 3 of the SCL.

The purpose of the Safety Culture Ladder is to improve the safety culture within organizations, thereby reducing the risk of accidents. Although not required by law, certification can be essential for companies looking to work with certain clients or in specific projects.

Download Safety Culture Ladder whitepaper

This toolkit explains exactly what the SCL entails, describes the different routes to certification, and provides insight into what preparations your organization can make.

Safety Culture Ladder certification: how does it 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. You then 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. In this way, they test whether the self-assessment is correct.

Receiving and maintaining your Safety Culture Ladder certification

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.

Do you have a question? Get in touch with one of our experts

Patrick Brom+31 88 96 83984
patrick.brom@dekra.com

Get in touch

Where can you find more information about the Safety Culture Ladder at DEKRA?

DEKRA provides audits for companies to be certified against the Safety Culture Ladder. Learn more about the Safety Culture Ladder and how we can support you.

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