What will change as of July 1, 2026?
The Safety Governance Code has decided to recognize VCA-MAX as supplementary evidence of safety culture within Safety in Procurement (ViA). This decision is based on a study by TNO and the University of Antwerp, which examined the similarities and differences between VCA-MAX and SCL Level 3.
This study shows that VCA-MAX aligns with the objectives regarding safety culture in many areas. Therefore, starting July 1, 2026, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will have an additional option to meet the ViA requirements.
VCA-MAX consists of the existing VCA certification, supplemented by the VCA-MG (Behavior Module). In other words, your regular VCA certification plus the VCA-MG together form VCA-MAX.
This certification applies exclusively to organizations with up to 250 employees. For work on the railways, SCL remains the designated methodology due to ProRail’s specific certification regulations.
What does this mean for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)?
For many organizations, this means more than just a new certification in practice.
Many organizations already hold a VCA*, VCA**, or VCA-P certificate. Thanks to the VCA-MAX accreditation, organizations with up to 250 employees can expand this existing certification to include the additional behavioral module.
This eliminates the need to set up a separate certification process for safety culture. Organizations build upon a system they are already familiar with, while simultaneously meeting the safety culture requirements within ViA.
Organizations in the construction, infrastructure, engineering, and industrial sectors benefit from this in particular. They can organize both safety and safety culture more efficiently within a familiar structure that is already part of their business operations.
In addition, under the revised ViA Guidelines effective July 1, 2026, a minimum of Level 3 will be mandatory for supply chain partners on contracts of €100,000 or more. For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), VCA-MAX thus offers a practical way to meet these requirements.
Safety culture takes on a greater role
The change is not just about certification, but primarily about how organizations approach safety.
Whereas safety used to be assessed primarily on the basis of procedures and documents, the focus is increasingly shifting to day-to-day behavior on the job site.
Among other things, this means that organizations must demonstrate:
- that employees understand why safety rules are important;
- that colleagues feel comfortable calling each other out on unsafe behavior;
- that risks are identified and reported sooner;
- and that managers visibly contribute to a safe work environment.
A strong safety culture not only helps meet client requirements but can also lead to fewer incidents, lower failure costs, and a safer work environment for employees.
Why choose VCA-MAX?
For many organizations, VCA-MAX aligns well with their existing VCA certification.
Instead of setting up an entirely new system, organizations can integrate the additional requirements related to safety culture into their existing HSE management system. This keeps the preparation process straightforward and eliminates the need to create a parallel manual or a separate SCL system.
Furthermore, combining the standard VCA with the VCA Behavior Module (MG) offers additional benefits. The audits can ideally be scheduled together, making the preparation process more efficient and potentially shortening the total turnaround time compared to when both processes are carried out separately.
In addition to the usual assessment of processes and control measures, auditors examine, among other things,
What changes during a VCA-MAX audit?
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1.
Employee safety awareness
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2.
Attitude and behavior in the workplace
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3.
How managers promote safety
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4.
Interaction among colleagues
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5.
The extent to which safety is a visible part of daily practice
As a result, part of the audit shifts from reviewing documents to interviews with employees and observations on the work floor. This provides a more complete picture of how safety is actually experienced within the organization.
When should you choose VCA-MAX, and when is SCL still the right choice?
Although VCA-MAX offers new possibilities, it is not an alternative to SCL in all situations.
SCL remains the preferred choice for:
- organizations with more than 250 employees;
- railway work, where ProRail explicitly requires SCL;
- situations in which clients specifically require SCL certification.
For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), however, VCA-MAX can be a suitable path to meeting the requirements regarding safety culture within Safety in Procurement (ViA). Which certification is the best fit ultimately depends on the nature of the work, the clients’ requirements, and the organization’s specific situation.
A development that is shaking up the market
Normec NCK expects that the recognition of VCA-MAX will lead many SMEs to reevaluate their certification strategies.
For smaller companies, a full SCL process often proves to be organizationally burdensome and costly in practice. By aligning with the existing VCA structure, VCA-MAX lowers this barrier and creates a practical alternative for organizations that want to demonstrate their safety culture.
In addition, the change contributes to greater uniformity within the supply chain. General contractors can more easily assess whether supply chain partners meet the established safety requirements, while organizations have to deal less with different registrations and separate certification processes.
Would you like to know which certification process best suits your organization?
The change offers new opportunities, but not every organization has the same obligations or needs. The specialists at Normec NCK are happy to help you determine which certification best suits your organization and the requirements of your clients.