You're bringing in a drone company for a job on your site. Your procurement policy says the contractor must hold VCA* certification and a certified quality management system (ISO 9001). Reasonable requirements. But what exactly are you checking, and what does it get you in practice?
VCA*: safety requirement for contractors on industrial sites
VCA stands for Safety Checklist Contractors. It's a certification scheme for contractors who work with operational staff on client sites with high safety requirements: refineries, ports, energy companies and industrial real estate. VCA* is the baseline version for operational contractors.
An accredited auditor assesses the safety policy, procedures and compliance. TenneT, Groningen Seaports and comparable clients require VCA* as a minimum condition for contractor selection. Without it, you don't get on their sites.
What VCA* requires in practice
- A documented safety policy with supporting procedures
- Staff trained on safety aspects relevant to their work
- Incident registration and evaluation
- Periodic external audit
ISO 9001: quality management behind the execution
ISO 9001 is about consistency, not safety. A certified organisation works with documented processes and is audited periodically on how well it follows them. When Drone Lift carries out an operation, the steps are agreed in advance, risks are analysed and responsibilities are assigned. Not dependent on who happens to be on that day.
For you as a client, that means you can request the dossier, see how the operation was prepared, and know what's in place if something deviates.
Why it matters for your procurement
If something goes wrong on your site, you want to know who is responsible and how the contractor covered their obligations. Both certifications give you that. They're also required in most tender procedures with government bodies and utility companies.
A supplier with VCA* and ISO 9001 also passes vendor qualification faster than one that has to scramble for a safety dossier when asked.
SORA as the third pillar
In addition to VCA* and ISO 9001, Drone Lift operates under SORA permit NLD-OAT-231/02G from ILenT. That permit is required for flights outside the Open category of EASA regulations, which applies to practically all heavy-lift operations. Together, the three certifications cover occupational safety, quality management and aviation safety.
Want to see Drone Lift's certification dossier for your procurement process? Email us and we'll send it straight over.
