Card Confusion – CSCS?

Posted on March 21, 2014

If there’s one thing you are guaranteed to find on any construction site, it is a CSCS Card.

ConstructionSkills’ Certification Scheme was started in the mid 1990’s to combat the lack of a minimum H&S benchmark in the construction industry. Since then, it has gone on to be pretty much the only test required to gain access to most construction sites in the UK; with 12 separate cards that can be applied for!

Unfortunately, like most things, the scheme has developed a major flaw. The problem is that as most sites require a CSCS card to gain entry, people are simply applying for the ‘site operative’ card; even if they’re not a site operative. Because of this issue, ConstructionSkills believe out of the 600,000 people who have a site operative card, only 200,000 of them are actually site operatives.

The solution is simple … As of 1 July 2014, the green card is no longer renewable; once your card expires you will have to go through the whole process of applying again. This will enable CSCS to root out those who are carrying the wrong card.

As well as this fail-safe idea, anyone who actually is a labourer will have to re-take the entry tests. The entry tests are the Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment test and the CITB Operatives Health, Safety and Environment test.

So if you think could be carrying the wrong card, may we suggest using Construction Skills’ ‘Cardfinder’ tool (link below). It will help you to find out which is the right card for you, and avoid being locked out of site.

Click here to use the CSCS Cardfinder.