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CSCS eyes intelligent card
16:13 04 Nov 2003
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The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card may become
an intelligent card, incorporating information about its
carrier.
The move is in response to Home Office proposals for legislation that will require employers to see documentation and record it, or maintain permanent records in an effort to reduce the employment of illegal workers.
Speaking at a special event to celebrate the success of the CSCS, chairman Tony Merricks said: "We are looking, and no firm decision has been made, at having that documentation presented at the time the health and safety test is carried out. We will then record that information and encrypt it on the card.
"We will also be able to encrypt the CSCS registration information, but such is the capacity of the card that employers will be able to use it for their purposes."
Merricks also wants an individual, who, for example, completes a first aid course, knows how to carry out an abrasive wheels change, or undertakes chain saw training, to be able to add those details to the card.
"The card could be used to populate a database so there are no more job application forms to fill in and no more laborious typing in of personnel records," he said.
"It will provide a 100% reliable site register and could be used, where required, for site security purposes. Any operative trying to pass without a CSCS card will activate an audible warning. And it could even be further extended to the plant sector so that only people qualified to drive that plant will be able to start the engine," Merricks said.
Since 1995, when CSCS was launched, more than 565,000 cards have been issued, covering 165 occupations, and CSCS staff are dealing with 3,500 calls to the helpdesk every week and a further 550 applications a day.
The CSCS board is continuing to push the scheme, with contractors working for local authorities next on its hit list.
"We believe this holds the key to being able to move CSCS down to the medium-sized builders, many of which are very supportive," said Merricks.
"After that we shall start to tackle the domestic sector.
"We want the public to be as familiar with CSCS as they are with the Corgi [gas industry] card," Merricks said.
Merricks criticised the lack of support for CSCS from the speculative housing market, citing this as the breeding ground for many cowboy builders.
The move is in response to Home Office proposals for legislation that will require employers to see documentation and record it, or maintain permanent records in an effort to reduce the employment of illegal workers.
Speaking at a special event to celebrate the success of the CSCS, chairman Tony Merricks said: "We are looking, and no firm decision has been made, at having that documentation presented at the time the health and safety test is carried out. We will then record that information and encrypt it on the card.
"We will also be able to encrypt the CSCS registration information, but such is the capacity of the card that employers will be able to use it for their purposes."
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Merricks also wants an individual, who, for example, completes a first aid course, knows how to carry out an abrasive wheels change, or undertakes chain saw training, to be able to add those details to the card.
"The card could be used to populate a database so there are no more job application forms to fill in and no more laborious typing in of personnel records," he said.
"It will provide a 100% reliable site register and could be used, where required, for site security purposes. Any operative trying to pass without a CSCS card will activate an audible warning. And it could even be further extended to the plant sector so that only people qualified to drive that plant will be able to start the engine," Merricks said.
Since 1995, when CSCS was launched, more than 565,000 cards have been issued, covering 165 occupations, and CSCS staff are dealing with 3,500 calls to the helpdesk every week and a further 550 applications a day.
The CSCS board is continuing to push the scheme, with contractors working for local authorities next on its hit list.
"We believe this holds the key to being able to move CSCS down to the medium-sized builders, many of which are very supportive," said Merricks.
"After that we shall start to tackle the domestic sector.
"We want the public to be as familiar with CSCS as they are with the Corgi [gas industry] card," Merricks said.
Merricks criticised the lack of support for CSCS from the speculative housing market, citing this as the breeding ground for many cowboy builders.
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