Safety Culture Ladder Certification

What is the Safety Culture Ladder?

The Safety Culture Ladder is a standard designed to encourage continual improvement in occupational safety awareness and safe working practices within organizations. It provides a certifiable benchmark, which companies can use to assess their current level of progress in implementing effective safety practices.

The Safety Culture Ladder framework enables organizations to evaluate their safety practices, with an emphasis on developing a safety-conscious culture. By obtaining certification from a reputable body such as LRQA, companies demonstrate their commitment to adopting best safety practices and being transparent about their efforts. Ultimately, the goal is to minimize unsafe situations and promote a safer workplace for all.The Safety Culture Ladder concept comprises five culture levels, so-called development stages, according to which the maturity level of a company is assessed. Companies can indicate through a self-assessment which level they are at and have this audited by LRQA.

Safety awareness is included as an obligation in tenders and contracts in construction.
ProRail, TenneT and the signatories of the Governance Code for Safety in Construction (GCVB) have prescribed the Safety Ladder. With the VIA "Safety in Procurement" safety is increased throughout the construction chain. From client to subcontractor and affiliated parties such as architects, constructors, research companies and engineering services, safety is worked together in the chain.

Benefits of Safety Culture Ladder Certification

An independent two-phase approach that provides a clear statement of your capabilities. Accredited certification helps you build trust with stakeholders and win new business.

Minimise risk and reduce accidents

The Safety Culture Ladder framework improves safety awareness, and the adoption of a more proactive approach reduces harmful accidents and situations. The Safety Culture Ladder framework improves safety awareness, and the adoption of a more proactive approach reduces harmful accidents and situations. 

Win new business

Safety awareness and performance are almost always requirements when tendering for business in the construction industry – as such, certification provides confidence in an organization’s approach and demonstrates a commitment to transparency and continual improvement.

Relationship with Safety Management Systems

The Safety Culture Ladder supplements other occupational health and safety system standards, such as ISO 45001, as well as current rules, regulations, and guidelines. This drives a focus on systematically influencing company culture and behaviour outside of typical Management System requirements.

Getting started with Safety Culture Ladder certification

The total contract value and the level of risk attributed to your area of work determine which certification route applies to your business. 

Approved Self-Assessment

The total contract value and the level of risk attributed to your area of work determine which certification route applies to your business.

Safety Culture Ladder Light Statement

Safety Culture Ladder Light utilises a more comprehensive, web-based questionnaire which includes 233 questions. A positive result leads to a Safety Culture Ladder Light statement.

Safety Culture Ladder Certificate 

LRQA’s approach consists of two phases:

• Phase 1: Analysis of the scope and structure of the organization, preparation of an audit plan and initiation of the audit report
• Phase 2: Initial certification, review of work practices and evaluation of all Safety Culture Ladder level issues.

Through interviews and observations, compliance with the minimum criteria for each Safety Culture Ladder tier is assessed. Depending on the outcomes, certification is awarded at the appropriate level. A certificate is valid for 3 years, and follow-up audits in years 2 and 3 are 40% of the original audit time.

LRQA is NEN recognized to deliver audits globally, and all audits are delivered in line with the requirements of ISO 17021 – the international standard which defines the best practice conformity assessment requirements that certification bodies must follow.