With the increasing mobility of the labour force in EU area countries, some method of skills certification has become a necessity in industries that have a lot of transient labour. CSCS cards are an up-and-coming solution for the construction industry in the UK. CSCS cards are issued across a wide range of skilled trades, and color coded according to an applicant’s ability to pass one of the standardized CSCS tests.

CSCS cards are issued for all possible levels of accomplishment, and card holders can improve their standing either by on-the-job experience, or by undergoing specialized CSCS training courses, followed by passing the requisite CSCS tests. One of the most innovative features of the entire CSCS training regime is its emphasis on health and safety first. In most cases, applicants for CSCS cards must first pass the CSCS tests for Health and Safety before anything else.

CSCS training therefore starts with the premise that workers should know what health and safety precautions to take before they pick up even a broom. With this vital prerequisite out of the way, applicants generally start by going after a red trainee card and working their way up the basic NVQ/SVQ vocational ladder. CSCS training and work related experience leads to successful scores on further CSCS tests, and issuance of higher rated CSCS cards, inclduing green for NVQ/SVQ level 1, blue for NVQ/SVQ level 2, gold for NVQ/SVQ level 3, black for NVQ/SVQ level 4-5, and several miscellaneous cards for use by persons in related fields of endeavor, and for regular construction site visitors.

The yellow CSCS cards issued to regular visitors do not exempt them from the basic provisions of CSCS training. They still need to pass the CSCS tests for Health and Safety like everyone else. In short, the combination of CSCS tests, CSCS training, and color-coded CSCS cards provide an easy and effective way of knowing who is on the job and what they are capable of doing.

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About David Cant

David Cant is a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner extraordinaire. He has a wealth of Industry experience and is the MD of Veritas Consulting. David also Blogs about Health and Safety here Health and Safety Consultants

His aim is to flavour Health and Safety with integrity, served with a side of humour You can find David on - Twitter and Google also Linkedin