Latest news from Kiwa

In architecture, the focus often lies on aesthetics, innovation and quality. However, safety also plays a significant role in this field. For Utrecht-based Zecc Architects, safety is an integral part of the company culture, both in terms of social safety in the office and safety on construction sites. Kiwa recently awarded Zecc Architects a Step 2 Safety Culture Ladder for their safety endeavors. Mario van Kooij, Zecc's associate project leader-architect, elaborates on this achievement.

Dutch energy distributor Alliander asked Kiwa to research and visualize the combustion of hydrogen at low concentrations. Kiwa developed a special test box and recording. The video shows that at low concentrations, the probability of ignition of hydrogen is lower compared with natural gas.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) took a historic step on 23 February 2024, by incorporating climate change into a wide range of management system standards. This means that climate change is now a mandatory component of no less than 31 system standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, and ISO 50001. The changes took effect immediately upon publication.

The Safety Culture Ladder (SCL) is being increasingly utilized by organizations as a tool to measure and promote safety awareness. The SCL originated in the Dutch railway sector but is now being internationally employed by a wide range of organizations. This broader application prompted a revision of the SCL handbook and certification scheme, resulting in the introduction of Safety Culture Ladder 2.0, which has been in effect since the beginning of this year.

An exciting sport year lies ahead! With the Paris Olympics in sight, Kiwa is gearing up to support the Dutch rowing athletes on their journey to France. Upcoming competitive training sessions, important for the Olympic crew formations, will take place on December 15, 19, and 22.

Important news for independent auto, damage repair and motorhome companies: SERMI certification, mandatory for theft prevention-related software and vehicle parts, takes effect in the Netherlands on April 1, 2024. You will are able to easily and quickly start your certification online with Kiwa.

This month marks the start of the third phase of the public-private hydrogen research program HyDelta. HyDelta 3 focuses on the economic and technical integration of hydrogen gas into the national gas transportation and distribution system. As part of the HyDelta consortium, Kiwa is taking on a significant number of work packages within HyDelta 3.

Cybersecurity remains a hot topic, not only due to the continuously increasing number of hacks and ransomware attacks but also from the perspective of regulators and the evolving legal framework in this field. Europe is on the verge of introducing new cybersecurity guidelines: the Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2).

There is now a European version of the revised standard for information security management systems ISO/IEC 27001 that was updated last year. This European version is identical to the global version, with the addition of a European preface.

The Dutch Red Cross (het Nederlandse Rode Kruis, NRK) and Kiwa have recently agreed upon a collaboration regarding the assessment of First Aid training programs. As part of this initiative, Kiwa conducts audits during First Aid courses at various locations.