Is the Safety Culture Ladder (SCL) mandatory?
No, the Safety Culture Ladder (Veiligheidsladder, SCL) is not a legal requirement. Your client decides whether you need it, through the tender process. Large parties in construction, infrastructure, installation technology and rail ask for a minimum level. Companies that do not meet it are often not allowed to bid for those contracts. NEN manages the ladder as a certification scheme. The requirement itself comes from clients.
Below, we explain what this means in practice and how to check your own situation. For the background to the ViA requirement, see the ViA requirement page. For the level requirements per client, see the Safety Culture Ladder for construction and infrastructure.
There is no legal obligation
No law, Working Conditions Act (Arbeidsomstandighedenwet) or other decree requires a company to reach a level of the Safety Culture Ladder. You are free to work without the ladder. The difference lies in what you can do: some contracts are only open to companies that can show the ladder.
This makes the question practical rather than legal. The question is not “must I?” but “does my client ask for it, and at which level?”
Contractually: where the requirement comes from
The requirement appears in tender documents and framework contracts. You will find it in three places:
- Tender conditions. You must show at bid stage that you meet a level. Without proof, you are excluded.
- Deadline after award. A client may require proof only after the contract is awarded. The model wording in the ViA guidance (Handreiking ViA) (January 2026) asks for proof no later than 90 days after the assignment is made. ProRail gives contractors that are not yet recognised 3 months after the contract is formed.
- Execution requirements. Sometimes you need a level to work at a specific location or on a specific type of work, such as site personnel counting at ProRail, where an SCL Original certificate at level 4 at minimum is required.
Never ask your client: “Do you have a requirement?” Ask: “Which level and which instrument do you require, and by what deadline?” This prevents misunderstandings about, for example, a SAQ or a self-assessment, which do not count the same everywhere.
When does it apply to you? An overview
| Situation | What your client usually asks for | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Contract from €100,000 with a client applying ViA | At least level 3 (ViA refers to level 3) | SCL Original, SCL or SCL Light |
| Same contract, but your organisation has fewer than 5 employees | No evidence required, the client steers on attitude and behaviour during the project | Nothing |
| Rail contractor for ProRail | Level 3 | SCL Original |
| Site personnel counting, cable and drilling companies for ProRail | Level 4 | SCL Original |
| Contract below the ViA threshold | Often nothing, but sometimes a requirement from the client itself | Ask |
| Private client or housing without ViA | Usually nothing | No ladder needed |
The €100,000 threshold and the start date of 1 July 2026 are set out in the ViA guidance, version 3.0 of January 2026. The value is the expected revenue of the contract, excluding VAT. For a framework contract or multi-year maintenance contract, the expected annual revenue applies. For ProRail, see the requirements per sector . Check everything in the current tender documents, because clients decide for themselves how they buy under ViA.
Check in five steps whether you need it
Read the tender brief
Look for the words “Safety Culture Ladder”, “SCL”, “ViA” or “level”. If nothing appears, there is usually no requirement in this tender. Check the appendices and the programme of requirements too, because it is sometimes listed there.
Note the required level and instrument
If it says “level 3”, the requirement is level 3. If it only says “Safety Culture Ladder”, ask which level. Also note whether a SAQ, ASA or certificate is accepted. Since ViA 3.0, the ASA no longer counts for ViA requirements (see certification forms).
Look at the deadline
Do you need the level at bid stage, or after award? For a framework contract, the deadline may differ from a single contract.
Look at your current level
Do you already have a certificate or statement, and is it still valid? A statement from SCL Light is valid for three years. A certificate you already hold is only useful if it covers the right level and the right product.
Record it in your bid file
Put the required level, instrument and deadline in an overview for each tender. Then you know which contracts you can take on and which to leave.
Example (fictional): an installation company with 12 employees
An installation company with twelve employees wants to bid on a €260,000 maintenance contract for a water board. The tender brief says: “Proof of at least level 3 of the Safety Culture Ladder at bid submission.”
The director does not have a level yet. He has completed a SAQ as a baseline measurement and wants to know which product fits. He can choose between SCL Light, SCL and SCL Original. He chooses SCL Light for small organisations (5 to 50 employees), because it fits his size and level 3 is enough. At bid submission he does not yet have the statement. He therefore includes a schedule with the audit date in his bid and asks the contracting authority whether that is sufficient for this tender. The answer decides whether he can take part.
This example shows why the question “is it mandatory?” becomes complicated in practice. The law says nothing, the tender says everything.
Common mistakes
Assuming the ladder applies everywhere. Private contracts and contracts below €100,000 often have no ladder requirement. Do not spend time on it if no requirement is stated.
Submitting an ASA as proof. The ASA is not on the list of accepted evidence in the ViA 3.0 guidance. It therefore does not count as proof of level 3. Check this again for every tender.
Confusing a level with a certificate. A level is an outcome on a scale from 1 to 5. A certificate or statement is the proof that you have that level. Clients often ask for the proof, not for the level described in your own words.
Waiting until the requirement appears. The ladder cannot be reached quickly. A gap analysis, improvement actions and an audit take months. If you wait until the tender is published, you often miss the opportunity.
Checklist: do you need the ladder?
- Do I bid on tenders from public bodies in construction, infrastructure, energy or rail?
- Does one of my clients require a level, and which one?
- Are the contracts worth €100,000 or more under ViA?
- Do I hold a valid certificate or statement for that level?
- How long is the deadline to show the level?
If you answer “yes” to one or more of these questions without having proof, start with the baseline measurement and the gap analysis. After that, you will know what the route to level 3 costs and how long it takes, using the costs and timeline.
A client can change or tighten its requirement between two tenders. Read the current documents, and do not rely on an old answer from a colleague.
More about the Safety Culture Ladder
- What is the Safety Culture Ladder? - The hub with all topics
- The 5 levels - Which level fits which requirement
- Frequently asked questions - Short answers to more questions
- Safety Culture Ladder vs. VCA - When do you need which?