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Safety culture review
DEKRA Advisory & Training

Are you looking for advice, support, or training for the HSE culture ladder? Read more below

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HSE culture ladder

Advice and training in the HSE culture ladder

Safety awareness and safe behavior among your employees form the basis of a safe working environment. The HSE culture ladder, also called the Safety Culture Ladder (SCL), is a tool that allows you to measure safety awareness within your organization. The safety experts at DEKRA Industrial Safety are happy to assist you with advice, support and training in the Safety Culture Ladder.

What is the HSE culture ladder?

The HSE culture ladder is a method that companies can use to assess the level of safety awareness and safe behavior within their organization. In total, the HSE culture ladder has five steps, with step 5 being the best and step 1 being the lowest. Originally developed by ProRail, the HSE culture ladder is now managed by NEN and used in a wide range of sectors to improve their safety culture.

What is the purpose of the HSE culture ladder?

The purpose of the HSE culture ladder is to increase safety awareness and promote safe behavior within your organization. This allows you to demonstrate internally and externally that your organization values a progressive safety culture and continues to improve. Which aligns with our OH&S services that focus on enhancing safety and health in the workplace.

The 5 steps of the HSE culture ladder

Your organization can climb from step 1 to step 5. The safer your company operates, the higher its position on the HSE culture ladder. DEKRA Industrial Safety consultants will be happy to determine which step of the HSE culture ladder your organization is on and what you can do to climb higher. Below you will find the steps from high to low:
  • Step 5: Progressive
    Safety is integrated fully into all business processes.
  • Step 4: Proactive
    Safety is a high priority and is improved continuously.
  • Step 3: Calculating
    Safety rules are considered important.
  • Step 2: Reactive
    Safety is not a priority and only plays a role when something goes wrong.
  • Step 1: Pathological
    Safety is not on the organization’s agenda.

Governance Code for Safety in Construction

Since January 1, 2022, step 2 of the HSE culture ladder has been mandatory for companies that have signed the Governance Code for Safety in Construction (GCVB).
As of June 1, 2025, the SCL Light has been introduced for small organizations. The SCL Light makes the HSE culture ladder more applicable for small organizations.
In addition, from July 1, 2026, it will be mandatory to comply with step 3 of the HSE culture ladder for companies that have signed the Governance Code for Safety in Construction (GCVB).
Discover how DEKRA Industrial Safety can support, advise, or train you so that you are ready for step 3 of the HSE culture ladder on time.
Why choose DEKRA to improve your safety culture?