Latest News

Construction card fraud rife on UK sites

24th August 2015

A recent study has shown that there is a significant problem with fake skills cards on UK construction sites. If you regularly work on sites or are responsible for checking cards then you probably aren’t surprised by this. According to the survey carried out by the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) and the CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme), 20% of individuals with responsibility for checking skills cards on site have seen fakes used by workers in the past 12 months.

simian-skills-cards-article

Many CSCS cards have microchip technology embedded in them and can be checked with card readers or on smart phones and tablet devices. This allows supervisors, site managers and employers easy access to a wealth of information about each individual worker, including their qualifications. Despite the technology it seems most sites are still simply checking cards using a paper-based system and aren’t utilising the smart technology available, whilst others aren’t checking them at all.

There are over 1.9 million CSCS card holders in the UK and the number of fakes in circulation is thought to be significant. Producing or using cards fraudulently can constitute a criminal offence and in some cases, the individuals involved could even face custodial sentences.

Ensuring that individuals are suitably qualified to carry out the work they have been contracted to do is clearly important. Having workers on site who don’t have the correct qualifications and experience can jeopardise progress on site and create health and safety risks. Simply using the technology available to carry out quick but thorough checks would reduce fraud and improve standards within the sector.

If you or someone you know needs a current skills card the relevant tests can be taken at our accredited CSCS touch screen test centre in Warrington. call us on 0345 602 2418 for more information.