The NFB MCG recognises the widespread use, reputation and recognition of CSCS across the industry, as well as the importance of maintaining integrity in the CSCS card system.

The NFB MCG reminds members that all workers must be competent to carry out their role and that competency is defined by the Health and Safety Executive as follows:

“Competence can be described as the combination of training, skills, experience and knowledge that a person has and their ability to apply them to perform a task safely. Other factors, such as attitude and physical ability, can also affect someone’s competence.”

The NFB MCG recommends that where possible, holders of IA-backed CSCS cards who wish to continue to work in their current role, should pursue the relevant NVQ, ideally via the experienced worker route (which is far less onerous than returning to college) and seek CITB funding to support this change. This should be done as soon as possible before the withdrawal of industry accreditation.

The NFB MCG understands and appreciates that some employers and some employees will decide, for a multitude of legitimate reasons, not to pursue qualification and will therefore no longer be able to renew their IA-backed CSCS cards. In these circumstances, the NFB MCG recommends the following:

1. Employers should put in place a clear and rigorous system to assess the competence of a person who formally held a CSCS IA-backed card to fulfil their role, as well as ensuring the person has a current recognised Health and Safety qualification at the appropriate level for the role they hold. This process should be documented and digitised.
2. Employers and employees should not use the incorrect cards for the person’s role. This is because the Health and Safety requirements different cards require differs depending on the role the person is fulfilling. Incorrect use of cards could well cause confusion and mistakes.
3. Employers should ensure that they are able to verify workers Health and Safety achievements, as well as any other qualifications and training they hold. The NFB MCG recommends the use of the CITB Construction Training Register which will show the worker’s achievements under the Site Safety Plus suite, NOCN qualifications, Construction Plant Competence Scheme and any training delivered by a CITB Approved Training Organisation.
4. Employers should issue workers with a signed authorisation letter for their role, stating that they have been successfully assessed for their competence against the role, the level of their Health and Safety training/achievement and an expiry date for the authorisation letter, ensuring authorisation is no longer than the expiry date of their Health and Safety achievement. A digital copy of this letter should be kept.

NFB MCG expectations of Health and Safety Achievements for former IA-card holders