Obtaining BeSaCC certificate

Must-ask

The BeSaCC Criteria List contains, divided into 11 chapters, the conditions (BeSaCC criteria) in the form of questions that allow you, as a company or self-employed person, to verify compliance with prevention measures. A question can only be evaluated positively if all the minimum requirements associated with that question are met.

Application attestation

An undertaking wishing to obtain an attestation shall submit a file in duplicate for this purpose to a accredited BeSaCC agency by choice. All contacts with the applicant are through this office. The dossier can be submitted if the contractor's relevant safety management system has been implemented for at least three months. The dossier is prepared according to and using the BeSaCC criteria list and contains all elements to prove that the company meets the BeSaCC criteria. After the file is found to be complete by the BeSaCC office, a thorough examination by the Cell of Experts (CoE) follows. It is this body, consisting of independent experts, that decides on the granting of an attestation. If necessary, the Cell of Experts can delegate an expert to carry out an additional investigation at the applicant's premises. This can be done by interviewing those responsible for the management system at the company's head office and by checking at the work sites with operational employees and operational managers whether the system is being implemented correctly. For files of self-employed persons, this will even be the rule. The entire procedure is supervised by the Executive Committee of Experts (UCvD), which is also responsible for handling any complaints. The deadline for obtaining a BeSaCC certificate is at least 3 months but is extended in case the file needs to be supplemented with additional documents. For a detail of the procedure: see the BeSaCC criteria list.

Attestation

The Panel of Experts takes a decision on the files no later than 60 days after the start of the handling procedure (letter of admissibility of file). The following decisions are possible:

• The attestation is granted (positive decision)
• Attestation not yet granted. Additional supporting documents are required (deferred decision)
• The certificate is not granted (negative decision)

After a positive decision by the Expert Cell, a BeSaCC certificate is issued valid for a period of three years for the activities as described in the application.

Period of validity

In principle, the BeSaCC certificate is valid for a period of three years. This depends on the (positive) results of annual evaluations by principals (at least two per year). These evaluations are carried out according to a checklist made available to principals by the non-profit organisation BeSaCC-VCA. The checklist is based on the BeSaCC criterion list and is intended to ensure that all key aspects of the system are evaluated from practice. The completed forms are delivered to the BeSaCC office. The office forwards them to the Cell of Experts. In case of negative comments, the Expert Cell will request corrective measures to ensure the validity of the attestation. The members of the Cell of Experts can also verify the correct application of the BeSaCC criteria on site at contractor sites and impose corrective measures if necessary. The UCvD has the right to suspend or revoke the BeSaCC attestation at any time during the three-year validity period. The attestation may be suspended if the annual evaluations are not submitted or not submitted on time, or if the contractor fails to implement the corrective measures within the stipulated period (of three months at the latest) or if the logo is found to be misused. The attestation is permanently withdrawn if corrective actions have not been implemented within three months of the suspension.