SCL (Safety Culture Ladder): the 4 variants

Jun 30, 2023

Choose the right start for safety awareness

The object of the SCL is to measure awareness, attitudes and behaviour in respect of safety in companies. It encourages companies to actively promote safety in the workplace. There are four SCL variants: SCL Original, SCL, SCL Light and Approved Self Assessment.

SCL
Certifying against the SCL Original and the SCL allows you to demonstrate which step of the Safety Culture Ladder you are on. The latter two variants are intended for companies that want to make a low-threshold start with the SCL. No certificate is issued for this but a statement. If you want to get started with the SCL, you decide which variant you choose. It is nice to have some guidance. In this blog we will discuss the four SCL variants. What do they entail? And what is the difference? In this way you can make an educated choice.  

The four SCL variants

  • SCL Original
  • SCL
  • SCL Light
  • Approved Self Assessment
If you want an SCL Original certificate, your company will have a full audit every year. You will engage a certification body (CB) to conduct the initial audit for the step for which you want to certify your company against. Before doing this, you could use the online SAQ questionnaire to gain an idea of your current situation. A summary of the steps follows below: 
Step 5 of the SCL: Progressive 
Safety has been fully integrated into all business processes. 
Step 4 of the SCL: Proactive 
Safety has great priority and is continually improved. 
Step 3 of the SCL: Calculating 
Safety rules are considered important. 
Step 2 of the SCL: Reactive 
Any change in behaviour is ad-hoc and temporary. 
Step 1 of the SCL: Pathological 
‘Ignorance is bliss.’
Besides observing project visits, the SCL Original audit also involves interviews with management and employees. If the audit is successful, you will receive a certificate from the CB. 
construction workers working on a roof
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.
Download here

Certification against the SCL

The SCL is compulsory in some cases. Compliance with step 2 has been mandatory in the context of construction tenders since 2022. Compliance with step 3 will become mandatory in 2025. When companies work with the SCL variant, it is important that their suppliers do the same. They can even make this a condition of their (continued) collaboration. DEKRA is one of the CBs you could approach to arrange an SCL audit. Our experts have extensive experience of the SCL and will be happy to take care of everything for you. Feel free to contact us for more information. Alternatively, you can request a quotation. Want to learn more about SCL certification and DEKRA first? Then check out our page via the button below.
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Safety Culture Ladder certification
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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