We often receive questions from you about occupational safety diplomas issued in other countries, such as Germany, Britain, and Poland. Are they comparable to the VCA, and are they recognized in the Netherlands? This article will briefly explain how it works.
The VCA system is by far the most complex and advanced occupational safety system in Europe. Its extensive training program and centralized authorization base put it at the forefront of knowledge, management, and control. This makes it a widely recognized system in the Netherlands and Belgium. Outside the Netherlands, however, things get a bit more complicated.
Under the agreements the Netherlands has with Belgium, Germany, Austria, and France, mutual acceptance of authorizations is as follows:
The Netherlands and Belgium: VCA Diploma
Dutch and Belgian diplomas are equivalent and accepted in both countries. You can verify your diploma’s validity in the Central Diploma Register (CDR) database.
To check the validity of a Dutch VCA diploma, click here.
If you want to check the Belgian VCA, click here.
Germany and Austria use the SCC diploma.
Germany and Austria use the Sicherheits Certifikat Contraktoren (SCC) system. While the certificates are generally accepted in both countries, there are significant differences that can cause confusion.
Unlike the VCA, the SCC system does not have a centralized database, so it is impossible to verify the authenticity or legality of a diploma. Consequently, the “quality” of an SCC diploma compared to a VCA diploma is debatable. Because the diplomas cannot be verified, companies and Dutch investors often refuse to accept them. As of January 1, 2022, whether a company accepts an SCC diploma is up to that company’s discretion. In practice, however, because the responsibility has increasingly shifted to employers, SCC certificates are not accepted.
The Dutch VCA is accepted in Germany and Austria.
France: MASE Diploma.
France uses the Manuel d’Amélioration Sécurité Santé Environnement des Entreprises (MASE). The Netherlands accepts MASE diplomas at all certification levels equivalent to VCA. However, France only accepts the VCA Petrochemistry certification level.
Poland and other countries
Do not use safety systems comparable to the VCA. Poland and the UK, for example, mainly use a system of job training. VCA certificates are not automatically valid in these countries, and certificates issued there are not automatically accepted in the Netherlands. From experience, we know that VCA diplomas are also recognized in Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.
Keep in mind that acceptance of occupational safety diplomas in the Netherlands other than the VCA depends on the investor/owner of the company that employs you. The company has the right to require you to obtain a VCA diploma. You can obtain such a diploma through the courses we organize at our training center. You can find the full list of our courses here.
