MASE certification: a complete guide to success in 2025
La MASE certification has become a strategic lever for companies wishing to operate on high-risk industrial sites. But what are its concrete goals? How do you get it effectively? And more importantly, why is it so important today? Certalis explains the essentials to you.
What is MASE certification?
Created in 1996 in the industrial basin of the Étang de Berre, the MASE certification (Business Security Improvement Manual) was designed to strengthen security on sensitive sites. Since then, the MASE-France Chimie standard has established itself as a recognized standard in the industry, with a clear ambition: to sustainably improve the safety, health at work and environmental performance of subcontracting companies.
What is the MASE repository used for?
This reference framework aims to structure preventive approaches in industrial companies, in particular those operating on sites classified as SEVESO. Being MASE certified is not ticking a box: it is engaging in a process of continuous, concrete and measurable improvement. The objective: limit risks, involve teams, and guarantee a high level of operational security.
MASE Objectives and Key Principles
The MASE system is based on three essential pillars:
- Continuously progressing on health, safety and environment (HSE) performance
- Going beyond standards by anticipating risks
- Develop a safety culture shared by all actors in the company
With this framework, companies are not content to comply with regulations: they are building an HSE excellence model that is recognized and valued.
The 5 fundamental axes of MASE
- Management commitment : security starts with a clear vision and a strong commitment from top management.
- Skills development : train, raise awareness, and empower all hierarchical levels.
- Work organization : structure processes to reduce risks and effectively manage coactivity.
- Management of the system : monitor indicators, audit, correct, and ensure performance over time.
- Continuous improvement : adapt practices to changing risks and requirements in the field.
How do I get MASE certified?
The certification process consists of four main steps:
- Enrollment to the regional MASE committee
- Elaboration of a membership application with the company's HSE commitments
- Implementation of the management system over 9 to 18 months
- Certification audit by an external evaluator
At the end of the audit, a steering committee validates (or not) the certification. An initial certification is generally issued for one year, then renewable for three years if the results are convincing.
MASE certification cost
The costs vary according to the size of the company, but remain accessible:
- Initial membership : 400 to 450€
- Certification audit :
- TPE: around 1,400 to 1,500€
- SMEs: two days of audit required, adapted cost
- Annual membership fee : 300 to 350€
- Bi-annual transmission performance indicators
In addition, useful services can be added: training, personalized support, internal audits... All the levers that Certalis offers its customers to succeed in their certification.
MASE or ISO 45001 certification?
The two standards aim for the same purpose — to improve safety at work — but differ in their approach:
- MASE : rooted in industrial reality, very operational, designed for high-risk sites, in particular SEVESO.
- ISO 45001 : structured international standard, adapted to multi-site groups, with a more standardized approach.
Businesses exposed to strong constraints often choose MASE, or even a MASE + ISO 45001 dual referencing to meet a variety of markets.
Why aim for MASE certification with Certalis?
MASE certification offers multiple benefits:
- Easy access to sensitive industrial markets
- Tangible improvement in safety indicators
- Valorization of the company's image
- Commitment recognized by clients
- Integration into a network of HSE experts
But you still have to be well prepared. Certalis accompanies each stage of your project: from the initial assessment to the implementation of the system, including the training of your teams and the preparation for the audit. Our objective: to save you time, structure your approach, and bring you to certification with confidence.
Setting up a MASE management system: the keys to success
The success of a MASE project is based on:
- THEmanagement involvement
- La Designation of a MASE pilot proficient
- La implementation of a structured action plan
- La formalization of a MASE charter shared by all
- The use ofadapted tools (management software, indicators, audits...)
- Of practical training and regular field monitoring
Certalis offers a complete and digital approach to make MASE certification a real driver of HSE performance.
Do you need support for MASE certification?
📩 Contact Certalis to benefit from tailor-made support, with modern tools, digital training and proven expertise in industrial environments.
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