The purpose of a VCA certificate is to safeguard the continuous improvement of workplace safety by ensuring that the various concerned parties are aware of the hazards inherent to their work activities. In addition, a VCA certificate indicates that a company complies with the necessary safety requirements (including the most important legislation and regulations), which often serves as an additional guarantee to the customer.
The VCA system was originally developed for the (petro)chemical industry, but is now also used in several other high-risk sectors:
VCA is only intended for companies who employ their own personnel. Self-employed entities without personnel can obtain a BESACC certificate. For companies working in the temporary employment sector, there is the VCU certificate.
However, it is important to distinguish between an employee-level VCA certificate and a company-level VCA certificate.