DEKRA Industrial Celebrates 11th Consecutive NOSCAR Award

DEKRA Industrial is proud to announce its 11th consecutive NOSCAR Award, reaffirming its position as a leader in occupational health, safety, and environmental (HSE) excellence. The NOSCAR Award, which is conferred by NOSA (National Occupational Safety Association), is recognised as the highest accolade within the occupational risk management industry. It is granted only to companies which demonstrate the most stringent safety and environmental standards through rigorous audits.

The award ceremony, held in Johannesburg on 27 September 2025, honoured companies on the NOSA Five Star System and Integrated Five Star System, which have achieved excellence during the review period.

Recognition of excellence

The NOSCAR Awards are not easily attained. To qualify, companies must achieve and maintain strict criteria over a three-year period. This includes verification audit scores of over 95%, a disabling injury frequency rate (DIFR) of less than 0.8%, no fatal accidents, no irreversible occupational health diagnoses and no major environmental incidents. In 2025, only 22% of all companies audited by NOSA qualified for this honour, underscoring its prestige.

For DEKRA Industrial, this 11th consecutive win represents more than a decade of consistent dedication, to achieve this level of occupational safety consistency: “Our proudest achievement is that over the last ten years and eight months, we have not recorded a single disabling or lost-time injury,” says Carina Kleinhans, Health Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager at DEKRA Industrial. “That amounts to more than 6.4 million safe hours worked, and it shows the depth of commitment our teams bring to protecting lives every single day.”

A culture of commitment

“Our achievement shows that what we say and what we do is the same thing,” says Johan Gerber, Senior Non-Executive Advisor at DEKRA Industrial. “To be recognised for 11 years in a row, and to be one of only 22% of audited companies internationally to receive this award, is a real privilege!  This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication and pride our teams take in ensuring every employee goes home safely every day – and is also in line with our parent company DEKRA’s Vision 2025 to be the ‘global partner for a safe, secure and sustainable world’.”

Pivotal to DEKRA Industrial’s success is its employee-driven culture. “Our people are the most important part of our safety journey,” says Kleinhans. “We continuously involve employees in identifying areas of improvement – and create safe spaces where they can voice concerns or provide suggestions. Safety is not just about rules, but about empowering people to care for themselves and for one another. We believe in building a culture where every employee feels valued and part of the bigger picture!”

This inclusive safety culture extends to creative initiatives such as monthly safety themes, interactive workshops and support programmes. These extend beyond safety to cover other aspects, including health-related topics such as cancer awareness and mental health programmes, as well as environmental topics.

“This approach fosters a sense of ownership and reinforces the message that safety extends beyond the workplace to families and communities,” Kleinhans explains.

Beyond compliance

The NOSCAR award is also not just about achieving audit success. Rather, it reflects a mindset of continuous improvement. DEKRA Industrial benchmarks itself internally to ensure year-on-year progress, with 2025 audit scores climbing to 97.98%. This culture of improvement is reinforced by leadership commitment at every level, with branch managers and executives actively participating in weekly safety meetings and initiatives.

Strong safety performance also delivers tangible benefits to DEKRA Industrial’s business relationships. “If a client has a choice between a company with a proven safety record and one without, they will choose the safer partner,” advises Kleinhans. “Our excellent safety record reassures clients that they do not need to teach us about safety; we lead by example. At the same time, we stay humble – always ready to learn and improve.”

Gerber adds: “This recognition is not just a certificate on the wall. It is about building client trust, protecting lives and maintaining the highest standards across industry sectors we work in – many of which are high-risk, where safety is even more critical. Safety and productivity go hand-in-hand, and our systems are designed to make processes easier, more accessible and more effective for everyone involved.”

A benchmark for the future

The NOSCAR awards continue to set the benchmark for protecting lives, the workplace and the environment, locally and internationally. DEKRA Industrial’s impressive record of 11 consecutive wins is a reflection of its unwavering commitment to safety leadership, employee engagement, and operational excellence.

“All life is precious, and the NOSCAR award is more than a trophy. It is a reminder of our collective responsibility for and ownership of safety,” says Kleinhans. “We are very proud of what we have achieved – but even more determined to continue striving for improvement. Our goal is simple: to protect and preserve every life, every day,” she concludes.