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CSCS plans to scrap 13 colour-coded cards in favour of single universal card

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  1. The main problems with CSCS are that you can take H&S tests in languages other than English. 99% of H&S information on site is English. If you learn or take your test in Russian how would you recognise a hazard in English? The other problem is making cards tailored to individual skills, the skills need to be broad based if this is the way it has to go, if your card says you are a Joiner does that then preclude you from steelfixing? Surely as managers we have not lost the art of spotting incompetent labour and ousting them? Just because someone has an NVQ doesn’t mean they can produce quality work? Lets make the cards about H&S and trying to reduce the rates of accidents and incidents and leave the assessment of skills to those who know best.

  2. I am amazed at the amount of forged cards that are around. I have on an average large Retail Project 5 forgeries per Project. This is not only a high risk problem it is a shameful reflection on our industry. I also feel that this system should have teeth and be like the Australian system. With a reporting process to remove those who just simply do not give a toss about safety once an for all out of construction.

  3. I’ve been a fully skilled time served tradesman carpenter/ Joiner since 1984 I recently took the cscs card test passed with 92% and they issued me with a green labourers card deleting 30 years of a trade skills in one go and I can’t get them to put it right they say they won’t accept my city & guilds qualification they want NVQ which I don’t have because they didn’t exist when I did my apprenticeship anyone else had similar problems and if so how did you get over it TA

  4. Never mind changing the colour of the card. Scrap the card, everyone involved in construction knows that the CSCS card system is just a money making scheme with little or no value

  5. Lets face it CSCS cards are a failure. Health & safety on site is vital but these do nothing and I know of many instances where trades eg painters are asked questions about trenching. Where is the logic in that?

    Method statements, risk assessments of many pages do nothing for safety and CSCS cards are not a sign of competence. Why does the industry lack so much sense & logic?

    Health & safety training, if it’s supposed to be important, should be provided free, as should any cards, and this nonsense of subcontractors being forced to join various main contractors “health & safety clubs” is a disgrace and un-necessary cost to the industry.

    Instructions and training should be brief and if it is going to be written down it should be on no more that 1 A4 sheet of paper, but the most important this is that everyone on site should be able to understand verbal instructions and an audible warning and have a common language. Some site I visit do not have anything resembling a common language.

    The whole industry needs a re-think but sadly those who supposedly lead the industry are absolutely clueless! I wonder what the Governments advisor to the Industry thinks.

  6. Hallelujah, after 45 years in the construction industry with previous management card my renewal last year was a Trainee card! Complete farce! Despite having ACIOB qualification and attendance of H& S two day courses.

  7. Another means for CSCS / CITB to extort money from the industry. Too many employers are taking it upon themselves to make CSCS cards mandatory, forcing people to take CITB courses in their disciplines to obtain a card and ultimately creating barriers to employment for thousands. It’s time the CITB, along with their levy, and this CSCS scheme was scrapped.

  8. I work with young people who have limited education due to the situation they find themselves in. For years now people who are kinaesthetic learners have taken to the building trade as labouring.
    This has helped many people gain employment and while working on site have been able to gain experience in other trades.
    Remember WE ALL LEARN IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
    I work and know a lots of young people who if shown something can pick up the skills needed to do a job. But put them in a college or a classroom then they would never understand it. I in my previous job supported young people in preparing them to take the CSCS test enabled them to look at the industry and what they needed to do to make sure they were aware of safety on site. But also to have the knowledge of what employers should be doing to make sure they were safe while at work.This also gave them an idea of what trades were available and which they felt bet suited them and there interests.
    I think as someone else said if CSCS is something every one needs then it should be something the goverment and education look at providing free.
    Hope the people who feel the same or disagree could spend a little time to put down their views in the hope that this can be taken further.

  9. I must say that I agree with all the comments above. The CSCS tests are not relevant to specific trades, also does a CSCS card show competency ?? My opinion is that it doesn’t at all. We have a variety of our workforce on various levels of experience. We have a yard operative who holds a gold card and a site supervisor with 30 years experience in the panel industry with a labourer card, which one would you want on the site ????

  10. CSCS cards are just a stealth tax on the construction industry, I agree with Mr Ward above, in all my time in the industry (30+years) I too have never been asked to show my CSCS card, I do however like the test they conduct, it’s great for anyone on the coal face. It’s a good general refresher, construction companies could administer it and do away with all this.
    We do however all have a responsibility to ensure those we put to work are competent to undertake the task we set them safely. I agree with Mr Price also its very, very important everyone on site can communicate effectively with one common language, in most incidents the root causes are usually down to lack of communication in one form or another.
    I’d rather the focus be on training and education, and not just sell you a book and a test, wrong!

  11. Well, all these people saying they have never had to show their cards are NOT working on building sites because if they were they would have to have a site induction and part of that is the main contractor taking a copy of your card.. THAT IS THE LAW.. so if you people are working on building sites WITHOUT having your card details taken, that site agent has broken the law…
    Dont get me wrong, these things are a waste of time in my opinion.. for instance i have known instances that some European workers with no English skills at all with Gold Cscs cards… how’s that possible? I’ll tell you as i was told myself.. they BUY the relevant pass certificates and present them as proof of experience.. Nice and fair to all us that done 5 year City & Guilds apprenticeships and 28 years in a trade only to be told they need to do NVQ’s now and won’t receive a gold card anymore until we do.. at 55 years of age..
    Another stealth tax for the construction industry..

  12. The card is not, and was not intended to be, a test for competency. It is part of a requirement to demonstrate compliance with ratcheting site legislation. You still assess skills and competences against a baseline. I don’t need a driving licence to drive a vehicle, but I do have a driving lincence to demonstrate to the regulators and authorities that I can.
    The card scheme should be developed and encouraged as a skillshow equivalent for the industry. Nothing more.

  13. Unfortunately the CSCS Scheme was a farce from day one. The CSCS team know very little about the reality of the construction industry, and the cards available at present are a perfect demonstration of this.

    I would actually be in favour of a true smart card, where an individuals qualifications etc could be attached to, but unfortunately, if Construction Skills are developing this it is certain to fail!

    I have been in the Construction industry for around 10 years and have never once been required to show my CSCS card, nor have had to make use of it in any situation whatsoever, so what is the value of it?

    If they are going to change the card system, again, then out the time in to making it right this time!

  14. The card system is a failure, there are some firms that permit blue card user to supervise, or Manage site. This system is wide open to abuse, a total joke within the construction industry. It’s seem that the cards have been pushed aside in favour of SSSTS, SMSTS, regardless of the colour of the card.

  15. I’ve been in the construction industry for over fifty years. I’ve got more knowledge in my little finger than any CSCS card. But to get a job you apparently need one!

  16. been in the carpentry business for nearly ten years, originally had the green card as i did a diploma and not an nvq, now that card has been phased out the cscs have told me my qualification is no longer recognised by them and i need to fork out over £1000 to be assessed on site for the nvq so i can get the blue card!
    an absolute joke!
    you talk to them online and all they do is copy and paste stuff from their website

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