While I hesitate to bring up the issue of competence cards for those in the construction industry and allied trades, I have got a question that reading the new CDM guidance has raised. In paragraph 163 it states "Sole reliance should not be placed on industry certification cards or similar being presented to them as evidence that a worker has the right qualities. Nationally recognised qualifications (such as National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs)) can provide contractors with assurance that the holder has the skills, knowledge, training and experience to carry out the task(s) for which they are appointed." Now CPCS requires operators transitioning to Blue cards from red cards to undertake a NVQ, NPORS I believe do not and while I understand this is guidance and not a strict legal requirement in the event of an accident will a card that only covers training ie an NPORS card or a red CPCS card be a sufficent proof of competence for an operator?

I was trying to avoid the are they suitable discussion and was framing the questuion soley in respect of the new CDM guidance

I thought it implicit in my reply that on their own they cannot be relied upon as real evidence of competence, whether for CDM15 or any other purpose.