I have as little to do with CSCS cards as possible, however I'm prompted to raise the question:

In what way do questions about the technicality of Regulations engender or raise competency in an Industry?

Ron - agreed, but most of our clients want to see it anyway, I guess it puts a tick in their box which is a shame...

achrn - I guess they will change the answers to be correct once the regs come into force?

Firstly, CSCS cards do not alone establish competence. From the mouth of the CSCS CEO:

"This led to confusion over whether CSCS cards were site passports, health and safety cards or competency cards. A CSCS card is none of these and the clue to its main purpose is in the title. A CSCS card certifies that the individual has achieved relevant qualifications and training."

http://www.shponline.co....onstruction-cscs-update/

Reliance on CSCS cards to determine competence is not advisable and anybody who does so is not managing competence appropriately. The CSCS health and safety test does not establish competence - it merely establishes a minimum level of H&S awareness. The level/type of card is issued after relevant evidence of qualifications/training is provided. If organisations choose to use CSCS as part of their regime for competence management, this could be appropriate, but from what I've observed in the construction industry, very few seem to get it right - there have been instances when people get onto site with a CSCS card that has no relevance to the work they are undertaking.

Can anyone answer why people who have completed any of the following - NEBOSH General / Construction Certificate, Diploma or NVQ Level 5, Masters. Then have to complete a basic H&S Test in order to get on to a site.

I've had this answered before, simply by people saying it's the rules, but who's rules.

I turned up for a site induction two weeks ago, and produced my CMIOSH card, I was told that's fine but you need a CSCS card to back it up.

Surely as a safety professional and going on site to carry out safety inspections and audits my CMIOSH card would be sufficient.

Yes I understand the contractors rules and if that's the rules, my question was more on surely NEBOSH qualifications out weigh CSCS qualifications, yet Clients don't seem to think so, yet when they advertise for H&S person(s) they insist on CMIOSH not CSCS

A CSCS card is not a qualification. If used correctly and assuming CSCS checks are rigorous, it should serve as evidence that an individual has relevant qualifications and training for the type of work they will be performing on site. In addition, a CSCS card gives an indication of the Health and Safety awareness an individual has - however, this will not be site specific and therefore this needs to be built upon with relevant site inductions and training. CSCS cards should only be used to evaluate competence as part of a suitable competence management system - for example, how does one evaluate experience, which is not covered by the card?

Should there be flexibility in the approach taken? There could be, but the competence management process should outline this - as Mr Joe Supervisor can't be expected to evaluate qualifications and experience if the process for doing so is not suitably outlined. Or indeed if Mr Joe Supervisor does not have the competence to do so.

My advice, get yourself a CSCS card - its not an argument you will win in the short term. What needs to change is the approach to competence management in the industry - and this will not be driven at a site level, where a box-ticking approach requires Mr Joe Supervisor to check for a CSCS card. The other area you need to tackle is CSCS giving recognition to H&S qualifications. Saying that, I have black CSCS H&S Manager card, so it should be straight forward to get.

I have been a H&S person for several years and had to retake the operators test last July for my visitors card, I failed it, I got two questions wrong, I remember thinking at the time of the test the answers given were a bit ambiguous but I think maybe I was a bit Cocky being a H&S professional. Before retaking the test I noticed the new AQP card which I was qualified for but required the Managers test to be taken, so two weeks later I took and passed the test and now have a nice shiny white AQP card.

I agree that as a person who has passed a higher H&S qualification why should I need a CSCS card but I also agree having worked for the PC that's its just as easy to ask everyone to have a CSCS card to show basic H&S awareness then to look at a myriad of certificates each time you do an induction for 10+ operatives to identify what level they're at. Lazy? not really, a 10+ person induction takes up most of my day what with checking cards, certs, Photos and the induction it's self so anything that reduces the time taken is good for me.