SCC training, the first steps to overall safety awareness

When things go wrong in Earth, Road and Hydraulic Engineering, they go wrong right. Damage to gas or power lines can cause explosions, tilting excavators can lead to serious bodily injury, and contaminated soil represents poisoning. Yet with proper certifications, these risks can be virtually eliminated.

One organization that already has a long history of preventing accidents in the Earth, Road and Hydraulic Engineering sector is VCANederland. The company has now been in existence for 15 years and is part of Kiwa. 

The task risk analysis

"A good Risk Inventory and Evaluation (RI&E) is the basis for preventing accidents," says Jeroen den Otter, manager of VCANederland. "Then you make a task risk analysis for each task. This means as much as 'start your task prepared'. You examine how you can tackle the task as safely as possible and what measures are needed to achieve this. You check the equipment you work with, arrange for the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and do a Last Minute Risk Analysis. This is a brief final check on the workplace to determine if any safety, health and environmental risks have changed."

Four main components

During SCC courses, people are trained to work safely and thus reduce the number of workplace accidents. "The one-day SCC training courses are general in scope; the knowledge is broadly applicable," says Den Otter. "The first part focuses on the careful preparation of work. The second focuses on performing the work. The third deals with controlling specific hazards such as hazardous materials, radiation and electricity. And the fourth informs about managing incidents and emergencies. Thus, step by step, trainees become aware of working safely. The SCC reduces accidents. It is much more than a certificate."

General safety awareness

SCC training is not required by law, but companies are required to properly instruct their employees. For many companies, SCC training courses are a way to meet the instruction requirement. They are the first steps toward general safety awareness. Companies can then supplement the knowledge themselves with specific knowledge.

Scattered throughout the country

Precisely because the majority of people in GWW have chosen a practical profession, a theoretical study is not always easy. VCA Netherlands responds to this by making the courses lively, varied and interactive. It provides the courses every month all over the country and at the end of the day students can immediately take an exam.