What does chain liability mean for construction?
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In construction, subcontracting chains often run three or four levels deep, and as the main contractor you can be held jointly liable for illegal employment by your direct (sub)contractor; further down the chain only if you knew about it in advance. With ChainSafe you collect, share and verify signed compliance declarations across the whole chain — in one click, with no account and no pdf that can be forged.
Building sites run on long subcontracting chains: a main contractor outsources to subcontractors, who outsource in turn. Paper attestations and declarations on honour are re-made for each client and no one can really check them. The duty of care does not apply to works below €30,000 excl. VAT without a subcontractor, or below €5,000 excl. VAT with only one subcontractor.
With a signed compliance declaration you record compliance with your obligations once, share it up and down the chain — straight to your partner’s VAT number or as a pdf on your own letterhead with the verification link built in — and every recipient checks it in one click. Paper can be forged; the verification page cannot. ChainSafe promises no protection against penalties, but makes your diligence demonstrable and documented.
- Take the free self-test and find out in a few minutes whether chain liability applies to you.
- For the legislation itself, see chain-liability.be.