How long is a VCA company certificate valid?

Usually a number of years, with interim checks by the certification body. The exact term and how often checks take place are set out in the current scheme. Ask your certification body, so you can plan audits and renewals properly from the start.

Does a client accept VCA** if it asks for VCA*?

Often yes, because the higher level covers more. Still, the client decides this itself, and some tender documents name an exact level. So check it beforehand in the tender documents or ask the purchaser, preferably in writing, before you start a certification process.

Can you move from VCA* to VCA** later?

Yes. You discuss with your certification body how and when, for example at your next audit. You then have to show that the extra elements are in order, such as policy, project planning and the assessment of subcontractors. So start on those well in advance.

VCA* or VCA**: which certificate suits you?

What do the stars actually stand for?

The stars belong to the VCA company certificate. That is something different from an individual employee's diploma, such as B-VCA or VOL-VCA. The company certificate shows that your organisation works safely, healthily and with care for the environment, as assessed by a certification body.

The certificate is not a legal obligation in itself. The demand mostly comes from contracts and tenders: clients want to know whether they can trust you with work safely. The number of stars indicates how extensive the level is on which you are assessed.

VCA*: your own people, safe work on the floor

VCA* is meant for organisations that do most of the hands-on work themselves, with little subcontracting. The emphasis is on the work floor: known risks, good instruction, safe equipment and incident reporting. Think of an installation firm or a small maintenance company that works at customers' sites with its own technicians.

The role of management is lighter here than at VCA**. That does not make it easy: an auditor still wants to see that instruction, inspections and follow-up work in practice, and that employees know how to work safely and what to do in case of an incident.

VCA**: also steering the safety of others

VCA** is meant for organisations that subcontract work, lead projects or play a coordinating role in the chain. You then watch not only your own people but also how others work under your direction. Think of a main contractor who deploys subcontractors.

The scheme therefore asks for more structure and more involvement from management. What exactly that means is set out in the current scheme and is something you discuss with your certification body. In practice it often involves topics such as:

Safety policy and objectives that management visibly sets and discusses
Projects that are planned in advance with safety in mind
Subcontractors and hired staff who are selected and assessed
Safety performance that management evaluates periodically

VCA-P: work at petrochemical sites

VCA-P, the P standing for petrochemical, is the most extensive level. It is meant for companies working at high-risk locations in the petrochemical industry, such as refineries and chemical sites, and adds requirements that suit that risk profile.

For ordinary construction or installation work VCA-P rarely comes up. If you do work at such sites, the client states in its admission requirements which level it expects. Ask early, because this is the heaviest route and you do not want to find out only during a tender that your client requires it.

Which level fits which type of company?

As a rule of thumb, look at two things: who does the work, and who directs it. The more you direct others and have work carried out, the heavier the level that fits. The profiles below are examples, not a fixed classification; your situation may sit somewhere in between.

Own technicians or tradespeople, hardly any subcontracting, one or a few regular clients: usually fits VCA*.
Contractor that subcontracts parts, coordinates several disciplines or acts as main contractor: usually fits VCA**.
Company working at petrochemical sites: often VCA-P, depending on what the site owner requires.
Company with changing roles, sometimes executor and sometimes main contractor: look at your heaviest role or your strictest client.

How the choice usually works out in practice

In practice it is often not your preference but the tender documents that decide. Many companies choose the level their most important clients require, and only then check whether it fits how they work. That is understandable, but verify that your organisation can actually live up to that level.

Smaller companies that carry out the work themselves therefore usually end up with VCA*. Companies that grow into larger projects and subcontracting move on to VCA**. Plan such a step well ahead, because the extra elements must already be working by then.

An example: an installation company works for years with its own technicians and fits VCA* perfectly well. Then it wins a project of which part goes to a subcontractor. From that moment it also directs the safety of other people's staff, and VCA** comes into view.

How to choose: five questions

Go through these questions with your management and your QHSE coordinator. Answer based on what applies now and what is coming in the next two or three years. A clear yes on subcontracting or coordination points towards VCA**, a yes on the petrochemical question towards VCA-P. Also ask your certification body how they count your use of freelancers or temporary staff.

What do the tender documents, contracts or admission requirements of your most important clients say?
Do you subcontract work or hire external staff, and how large is that share?
Do you take on projects in which you direct other parties?
Do you work at sites with their own scheme, such as in the petrochemical industry?
Can your organisation sustain the policy, evaluation and follow-up that a heavier level calls for?

Common mistakes when choosing

The first mistake is choosing too high to be on the safe side. A heavier level means more organisation and more evidence, and you have to keep delivering it after the first audit. The second mistake is choosing too low: you then drop out of a tender and go through the process again.

Companies also tend to underestimate that an auditor talks to people on the work floor, so the certificate is not a paper exercise. And do not choose only for today: if you plan to subcontract more within a year, prepare for that now.

After the choice: what do you do next?

Record the choice and its rationale: what do your clients ask, how do you work and what growth do you expect? Then ask one or more certification bodies about their way of working, planning and what they expect from you, and compare. That way you do not find out halfway that the chosen level does not fit.

Then carry out a baseline check: which parts of the chosen level do you already have in order and what is still missing? That is where the real preparation starts, which you work out using Preparing for VCA certification. Involve the people from the work floor already in this phase: they will soon have to explain how they work safely.

How BrydgeOne supports this

BrydgeOne does not choose the level for you and does not arrange the certification; you do that with your clients and a certification body. It does help you show what your organisation already has in order.

With Certificate management you keep track of the validity of VCA diplomas and other certificates, and the Skills matrix compares employees with the mandatory training per job role. Toolbox talks record instruction with signatures and knowledge checks. The Audit-ready check shows per standard what is still missing.

VCA* or VCA**: which certificate fits your company?