CSCS has become the industry standard competency card scheme for construction. Most major trade associations, professional institutions, clients and contractors support the Scheme because it provides a simple way for construction workers, supervisors and managers to prove their competence in a consistent manner.
Here’s what some of them say:
Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of construction union UCATT:
“A fully carded workforce is a safer and better trained workforce.”
Richard Diment, director general of the FMB:
“FMB, as the leading trade association representing SME’s in the British construction sector, supports and promotes all aspects of craft management and health and safety training. It recognises CSCS as a vital means by which its members can record and provide proof of the skills and competency of their workforce and sub-contractors.”
Julia Evans, chief executive of the NFB:
“CSCS provides a base line standard which is broadly accepted by the majority of the Construction industry. It enables workers to demonstrate important proficiencies and companies to demonstrate a commitment to safe and efficient working.”
Mike Abel ASDA’s General Manager, Construction:
“We stipulate that all people carrying out construction related activities on our sites can show that they have the requisite skills. With tradesmen and operatives we insist that they have a CSCS card at the appropriate level for the activities they are undertaking.”
Colin Sargeant, operations director at Simons:
“Around 80% of our work is repeat business on a negotiated or framework basis where a lot of the labour is client specified. Through our efforts, clients are increasingly seeing the benefits of using a CSCS carded workforce.”
Construction Project Manager at Sainsbury’s Andy Carruthers:
“CSCS enables us to ensure that anyone who comes onto a Sainsbury’s site has a level of competence which can be improved upon as contractors invest in their staff. CSCS cards started off as something that was desirable to have, but is now a compulsory requirement and is checked by our main contractors as part of the site induction process.”
The Office of Government Commerce’s (OGC) document Common Minimum Standards for the Procurement of Built Enviornments in the Public Sector stipulates that government clients must require that all members of the supply teams who are workers or a regular visitor to their construction sites are registered on the CSCS scheme.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE CSCS CARDS
1,519,277