What is VCA?
VCA (VGM Checklist Aannemers, roughly ‘Safety, Health and Environment Checklist for Contractors’) is a safety standard for companies doing high-risk work, with personal diplomas for workers and certificates for companies. It is widely required in the Netherlands and Belgium in construction, installation and industry. The scheme originated in the (petro)chemical industry and is managed by the Dutch foundation SSVV (Stichting Samenwerken voor Veiligheid). Its German counterpart is SCC (Safety Certificate Contractors).
Personal diplomas
- B-VCA (basic safety): for anyone doing risky work or working in a high-risk environment, including self-employed workers and trainees.
- VOL-VCA: for operational supervisors such as foremen and site managers.
- VIL-VCU: for recruiters and supervisors at employment and secondment agencies.
A VCA diploma is valid for ten years, after which you must sit the exam again. In Germany, new SCC personal certificates are now valid for five years.
Company certification
- VCA*: for companies working without subcontractors.
- VCA**: for companies working with subcontractors.
- VCA Petrochemie: for the petrochemical sector.
- VCU: the version for employment agencies.
A company certificate runs for three years, with an interim audit every year.
Application
VCA is not a legal requirement. The demand comes from clients and main contractors: if you work for or at a VCA-certified company, a VCA diploma is usually compulsory. The legal basis for safe working remains national health and safety law (in the Netherlands, the Arbowet).
Tips and points of attention
- Check diplomas online: the Central Diploma Register (cdr.ssvv.nl) shows whether someone holds a valid diploma; company certificates are listed in the Central Certificate Register (ccr.ssvv.nl).
- Working abroad: Belgian VCA diplomas and German SCC certificates are often accepted, but a client may still insist on its own national diploma. Ask before the job starts.
- No substitute for site rules: VCA covers basic knowledge. Site-specific inductions and permits to work still apply.
Related terms
- Occupational health and safety
- Arbouw
- Construction safety zone
- Scaffolding
- Fall protection
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