Beswic organises celebration for 25 years of contract safety in Belgium
At BEMAS (Belgian Maintenance Association), we support maintenance and asset management professionals by sharing knowledge and best practices, promoting innovative technologies and offering training. Safety is at the heart of many of our activities, especially when working with contractors and subcontractors.
Celebrating 25 years of contractor safety in Belgium on 14 October 2024 was therefore an important milestone that we are happy to help highlight. It also provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the progress and challenges in the sector.
Celebrating 25 years of contractor safety
The celebration in Brussels focused on two elements: a review of 25 years of efforts and a look to the future. The event began with a retrospective by the president and by Kris De Meester. Then keynote speaker Ruth Wilkinson of IOSH called for reflection on the future of work and safety. She stressed how essential it is to be prepared for new challenges. Her questions - such as the impact of climate change on occupational risks or the equivalence between mental and physical health - align perfectly with the challenges we too see. Her vision spurs action: how can we as an industry continue to evolve while anticipating future risks?
The evolution of contractor safety
Over the past 25 years, contractor safety in Belgium has undergone an impressive evolution. The origins of contractor safety in Belgium lie in the initiative of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (FEB) to establish a platform for safety in subcontracting. This led in 1998 to the creation of BeSaCC, a system that awards safety certificates to contractors based on a thorough audit. This system grew into what we know today as Contractor Safety Management. Today, more than 4,000 Belgian companies have a valid certificate, and 100,000 employees enjoy safety training every year.
This progress makes us at BEMAS hopeful, but also determined. We remain committed to further improving safety, not only by learning from the past, but also by actively responding to future challenges.
A look ahead
Cooperation between clients, contractors and safety authorities provides a strong foundation for the future. Yet new technologies, changing forms of work and social issues such as mental wellbeing will continue to challenge us. At BEMAS, we continue to support our members with insights, training and a platform for collaboration to be stronger together.
With the celebration of 25 years of contractor safety behind us, we look ahead to even better practices, more collaboration and a safer workplace for all. You can read more about the history of contractor safety in Beswic's original blog post in dutch: Spotlight on 25 years of contractor safety in Belgium.
Together, let's build a safe, healthy and innovative future for the industry.
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