The Safety Culture Ladder for construction and infrastructure

In construction, infrastructure, energy and rail, the Safety Culture Ladder (SCL) is de facto mandatory. Not through a law, but through clients who require level 3 as a tender requirement. From 1 July 2026, this applies to all contracts from €100,000 under the guidance Safety in Procurement (ViA 3.0). Large clients such as ProRail , Rijkswaterstaat and TenneT also set higher requirements for high-risk sectors.

Are you working as a contractor, installer, engineering firm or subcontractor for public clients? Then you will come across it at some point. This is the page that explains which client asks for what, how the supply chain works, and which route is most practical for construction and infrastructure companies. Background information on ViA is on the page ViA requirement. The cost of the process is on the page costs and timeline.

Level requirements per client

Every client sets its own requirements. The table below gives an overview, but always check the current tender documents. Requirements can differ per contract and sector.

Client	Minimum level	Notes
ProRail	Level 3 (rail contractors)	SCL Original required for recognised contractors; level 4 for specific sectors
ProRail (site personnel counting, cable and drilling companies)	Level 4	SCL Original, raised requirement for high-risk sectors
Rijkswaterstaat	Level 3	Via ViA, for contracts from €100,000
TenneT	Safety Culture Ladder as a hard requirement	Specific level per contract; check the tender documents
Water boards	Level 3	Via ViA; the Association of Dutch Water Boards (Unie van Waterschappen) has signed up to the Governance Code
Provinces	Level 3	Via ViA

The table above is a guide, not a guarantee. Check what each client requires for every tender. Requirements can differ per contract, sector and point in time. ProRail publishes its current requirements on its website.

How the supply chain works

A main contractor that receives an SCL requirement from its client often passes it on to its subcontractors. Sometimes as a hard requirement, sometimes as a soft preference. In practice, we see companies lower down the chain starting too late and then coming under time pressure during a tender.

For example. An electrical installation company works as a subcontractor to a main contractor on a Rijkswaterstaat project. The main contractor has level 3 itself and expects its subcontractors to show it too, or to be on their way. If the installation company has not arranged anything, it falls outside the selection.

So start early. If you expect your clients to ask for a level in two years, that is the time to start now. Changing a culture takes time. The step-by-step plan helps you plan the process.

Sectors where the Safety Culture Ladder applies

The Safety Culture Ladder is most established in:

Rail infrastructure (track, stations, overhead lines)
Road and water construction (Rijkswaterstaat, water boards)
Energy transition and utility infrastructure (TenneT, Gasunie, grid operators)
Installation technology and utility works
Soil remediation and earthworks
Civil construction and groundworks

Outside infrastructure and construction, large industrial companies also use the Safety Culture Ladder to assess their contractors on safety culture. In those cases it is not a tender requirement but a quality selection tool.

SCL Light as a route for small construction companies

A small contractor or installer with 5 to 50 employees does not need the most demanding certification form. SCL Light was developed for companies in exactly this situation: you want to meet the level 3 requirement, but you do not have the capacity for an annual 100% audit.

SCL Light gives a statement instead of a certificate, but this still counts for ViA tenders. The audit in year 1 covers 40% of your organisation. In years 2 and 3, one auditor checks your progress on your action plan. After 3 years, recertification follows.

For a comparison of all forms, see the page certification forms.

The relationship with VCA in construction

Many construction companies already have VCA. The question that then arises: can I not just rely on VCA? The answer is no, if your client asks for the Safety Culture Ladder.

VCA and the Safety Culture Ladder measure different things. VCA checks whether your system and documents are in order. The Safety Culture Ladder measures whether your people put safety into practice. They complement each other. A strong VCA system helps you towards level 3, but does not guarantee it. The comparison with VCA explains this in more detail.

In construction, it is common to have VCA as a basic requirement and the Safety Culture Ladder as a client-specific requirement. Having both is the standard for larger contractors.