SCL 2.0: what has changed since SCL 2016?
SCL 2.0 is the current version of the Safety Culture Ladder (Veiligheidsladder). It applies from 1 January 2024. SCL 2.0 has been available since September 2023. From 1 January 2025, you can only (re)certify under SCL 2.0, and from 1 January 2028, all valid certificates must be based on SCL 2.0. The main changes: five themes instead of six, a new SAQ with 20 questions and different reporting.
The source is the administrator, NEN (Netherlands Standardization Institute) , which publishes the certification scheme, and the official SCL website . Below, you can read what differs, what that means for you and how to move from an SCL 2016 process. For the main outline of the ladder itself, see the 5 levels.
The main changes
| Topic | SCL 2016 | SCL 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Effective date | Old version | Since 1 January 2024 |
| Number of themes | 6 | 5 |
| Self-assessment (SAQ) | Compact and Extended (2016) | SAQ 2.0 with 20 questions |
| Questions in the SAQ | Not split by job role per sub-theme | One question for management and one for operational staff per sub-theme (B1 language level) |
| Description of levels | No description of level 1 | Level 1 is described |
| Assessment | Points | Colours: green, orange and red per theme |
| Reporting | Could be traceable to individuals | May no longer be traceable to individuals |
Use the SAQ 2.0 for your new self-assessment. The old SAQ versions (Compact and Extended, 2016) remain available for as long as certification under SCL 1.0 is still possible. Since 1 January 2025, only SCL 2.0 applies to new certifications and recertifications. If you start now, you work with SCL 2.0.
The five themes of SCL 2.0
- Policy and leadership
- Knowledge and skills
- Primary and secondary processes
- Cooperation with external parties
- Learning and improving
The old model had six themes. When the themes were merged, no topics were removed, but they now sit in a different place. If you had a score per theme in 2016, do not compare that score one-to-one with a score per theme in 2.0.
What does that mean for your process?
Suppose you started a process in 2023 based on SCL 2016. You cannot simply carry on. You must repeat the self-assessment and the gap analysis with the SAQ 2.0. You can reuse an existing action plan, but then you link the actions to the new themes.
For companies that already hold a certificate, the following applies: follow-up audits may still be based on the old version. NEN and Kiwa , a certification body, both report this. If you switch to SCL 2.0 during the term of your certificate, NEN says an initial audit on SCL 2.0 is required. Ask your certification body which version they use for your follow-up audit.
From 1 January 2028, only certificates based on SCL 2.0 are valid. If you hold an old certificate in 2026, plan in time. Do not wait until the certificate expires.
Example (fictional): moving from 2016 to 2.0 at an installation company
An installation company with 18 employees completed an SCL 2016 process in 2022. In 2026, the organisation must again show that it reaches level 3 to meet a ViA requirement (Veiligheid in Aanbesteding, safety in procurement). The company does this in three steps.
Complete the SAQ 2.0
The company completes the new questionnaire with management and four employees from the shop floor. The results show that theme 4, cooperation with external parties, scores weakly, mainly with subcontractors.
Translate the old actions to the new themes
The old action “weekly toolbox talks” falls under theme 2, knowledge and skills. The old action “discuss contracts with subcontractors” now belongs under theme 4. This way, you find which actions still work and which ones you need to revise.
Schedule the audit on the new version
The company asks the certification body for an audit on SCL 2.0. The company knows that an old report does not automatically count for the new requirements. The certification body decides what does and does not count.
The example is fictional. It shows what you do in practice. The outcome depends on your own situation and your certification body.
Common mistakes when switching
Carrying over old scores. A 2016 score says nothing about a 2.0 theme. Measure again.
Only updating the questionnaire. The requirements for evidence, interviews and observations also change. A company that only renews the SAQ is not ready for the audit.
Losing track of the term. The SCL website states a validity of 3 years for SCL Original, SCL and SCL Light. The certification body checks every year whether your document is still valid. Check the expiry date on your own document.
Losing track of the transition date. From 1 January 2028, an SCL 2016 certificate is no longer valid. Put the date in your planning.
How to recognise SCL 2.0
A certificate, statement or audit on SCL 2.0 states the version in the document. If it only says “Veiligheidsladder” with no version, ask which version it is. If in doubt, read the frequently asked questions and then put the question to your certification body.
What stays the same
Not everything has changed. The levels remain the same five: pathological, reactive, calculative, proactive and generative. Level 3 remains the threshold that clients ask for. The form of your certificate or statement also stays the same: SCL Original, SCL, SCL Light and the self-assessment still exist.
What does change is the questions and the weighting. An auditor under SCL 2.0 still looks at behaviour on the shop floor, at interviews across all levels and at observations. The difference is that the descriptions per level are structured more clearly, and that reporting may no longer be traceable to individuals.
You can always find changes to the requirements per theme in the current standard text from NEN. This page gives the main outline, not the full text.
Checklist for switching to SCL 2.0
- Which version do my current documents use: SCL 2016 or 2.0?
- Do I have an action plan that I can link to the five new themes?
- Have I completed the SAQ 2.0 with both management and the shop floor?
- Do I know when my certificate or statement expires?
- Have I asked my certification body which version they will use for the next audit?
- Is the 2028 transition date in my planning?
If you can answer “yes” to all of these, you are ready for the next step. If you answer “no” to two or more, the best place to start is the SAQ.
More about the Safety Culture Ladder
- What is the Safety Culture Ladder?: the hub with all topics
- Completing the SAQ: the SCL 2.0 self-assessment step by step
- Step-by-step plan: from baseline measurement to certificate
- Certification routes: which route fits which version and size