Rank: New forum user 
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Being new to the UK Construction market we are finding it increasingly difficult to know which training to get for our employees. All our staff have the Irish 'Safe Pass' training, this should be acceptable through 'mutual recognition' with CSCS. In the UK it's either CSCS or CCNSG but different sites have different requirements. Then there are the trade cards to consider, which require us to get all our staff NVQ approved even though they have training equivalent to City and Guilds.
All our Project Managers have IOSH Managing Safety yet some clients want SMSTS and yet more want CCNSG for managers.
Then there are the accreditation bodies. We have ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001 and hope to have ISO 14001 by the year end, yet this is not good enough. Most clients now want us to be accredited to some scheme or other. We are now Achilles approved, We are currently applying for CHAS and yet another client wants 'Safecontractor'. Where will it end.
Unfortunately I am becoming cynical of it all as a money racket, yes, I know the arguements in favour of these systems and it is probably because we are new to it all, but, it is complicated.
Do other contractors have to go through these various accreditations and training requirements or are there options where we can be accepted everywhere?
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Rank: Forum user
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I have to agree that the current situation where to work for different Companies you have to jump through so many different pre-qualification process’s can only be considered as a very expensive while offering very little value. Particularly when you consider that you are being asked the same questions which are just worded slightly differently.
As you rightly say there are so many schemes this only appears to be a money making racket for these organisations while costing hard pressed contractors a fortune not only in registration costs but also in person hours completing the applications.
On a brighter note earlier this year (back in April 10) BSI issued PAS 91 (Publicly Available Specification) 91: 2010 Core criteria for pre-qualification in construction tendering – Selection, presentation and application’ consultation on pre-qualification questions (PQQs) with the aim of getting a single Standard in place. This document will be in place later this year.
That’s the good news but now for the sting:
When introduced later this year, PAS 91 will not:
1. Be mandatory- It provides a draft standard that the supply chain can follow.
2. Attempt to cover project-specific questions. A client may make additional project-specific enquiries whenever necessary.
3. Seek to ‘gold plate’ current PQQ activity or to raise requirements beyond widely accepted supply chain good practice.
The above will probably mean that yet another process has to be completed. Perhaps its time to kick construction work into touch and set up a body to offer PQQ services
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Rank: Forum user
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I do sympathise with you. We are CHAS and Safecontractor accredited but are now going for Constructionline accreditation. Fortunately they have a mutual agreement with CHAS so I've not had to complete the H&S questionnaire but the other 6 questionnaires on finance, HR etc have all needed to be done plus references from clients on their particular pro-forma..... We have done SMSTS training this year as it's required by several big PCs plus as an electrical company we have ECS cards. Then we get PC audits on our training throwing up things like you've not given your workforce training on slips, trips and falls awareness!!! So we do an inhouse tool box talk style session on this ..... And we've had to supply copies of all our staff's certification electronically so one particular large construction company can issue cards to all staff working on their site with a chip in containing all the relevant training info!! Whilst the intention may be good, the rigmarole and time it all takes is not an efficient way forward.
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Rank: Guest
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There is going to be an EU "Safe Pass" scheme implemented within the next 12-18 months. Hopefully that will resolve alot of issues.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Originally Posted by: Ciará  There is going to be an EU "Safe Pass" scheme implemented within the next 12-18 months. Hopefully that will resolve alot of issues.
And not before time, think we're currently being asked to go in for about 6 schemes, someone somewhere is making money...
Like CSCS cards. I'm sorry but for me to get a visitors card based on Health and Safety questions a ten year old could answer doesn't lead me to believe it is going to make a site safer. Or is it just me?
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