BeSaCC info

What is BeSaCC?

Whereas the legislator used to keep companies' attention mainly focused on the safety and health of their own employees, the Welfare Act of 4 August 1996 broadened the scope to work with third parties. Indeed, in these situations, clear agreements must be made to safeguard the safety, health and welfare of all involved. The client must ensure that the contractor observes the necessary preventive measures when carrying out the work. In addition, every principal also has a duty to keep out unsafe contractors. How all this should be done is not mentioned in the Act. It is up to the principal to find the appropriate way to do this. One of the options he has is to use contractors who have a label, attestation or certificate demonstrating the application of a safety management system.

Various safety management systems have been developed that allow contractors to demonstrate that they observe the necessary preventive measures so that risks to their own employees and those of the client are minimised. In the Netherlands, for example, the VCA system was developed under the impetus of petrochemical companies. This system is aimed primarily at contractors carrying out more risky activities. It is based on a certification procedure by an accredited certification body.

The BeSaCC (Belgian Safety Criteria for Contractors) system was developed in Belgium on the initiative of the Federation of Belgian Companies and a number of business sectors. BeSaCC is an attestation system in which a group of experts (Cel van Deskundigen - CoE) checks whether the BeSaCC criteria have been met on the basis of a file drawn up by the applicant. This system is mainly intended for the smaller contractors and subcontractors carrying out low-risk work. It can also be considered a first step towards SCC. In the BeSaCC system, the company that itself demonstrates that it meets the set criteria receives an attestation. Both systems are complementary and are managed in Belgium by the same national structure, namely the non-profit organisation BeSaCC-VCA.

BeSaCC certificate or VCA certificate?

Any company whose employees have to carry out work in another company will benefit from obtaining an attestation or a certificate. The choice between an SCC certificate and a BeSaCC attestation depends on various factors such as the requirements set by the client, the nature of the risks or the company's own capabilities. The non-profit association BeSaCC-VCA strives for maximum complementarity between the two systems without detracting from the individuality of BeSaCC or SCC. The criteria used are very similar and a consultation platform ensures that the criteria match. The difference lies mainly in the process whereby SCC requires an audit by a certification body. SCC is therefore more intended for companies whose work involves an increased risk with clients. BeSaCC is intended for companies or self-employed people who carry out work with rather limited risks or in a low-risk environment, for example:

• classical cleaning
• painting and maintenance work on buildings
• construction work in a non-production environment
• garden landscaping/green services

The distinction between major and minor risks cannot be made clearly, let alone a demarcation by sectors. When imposing requirements, clients are therefore best to take into account the individuality of contractors and possibly leave the choice of BeSaCC or SCC to the contractor itself.

Use of the BeSaCC certificate and logo

The BeSaCC attested company is entitled to use the BeSaCC logo in relation to its attested activities. However, the BeSaCC logo may not be used for other services or materials of the company. The granting of the attestation by the Unit of Experts only gives an assessment of the submitted file and does not release the company from its legal obligations in relation to third-party work provided for in the Welfare Act of 4.8.1996.

List of BeSaCC criteria

The list of BeSaCC criteria can be downloaded from the "Documentation" "BeSaCC" section: Documentation