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Lockdown Causes Issues for CISRS Card Renewals

26th February 2021

Training centre closures have led to issues for Scaffolders throughout the UK as they struggle to renew their CISRS card.

With the Government’s announcement in January that training centres (such as SIMIAN’s) must close due to the lockdown, we sadly shut our doors. This has meant that many Scaffolders looking to undertake their mandatory CPD course in order to renew their card, have been unable to attend.

In light of these issues, CISRS has urged employers to show leniency with regards to card checking procedures on those that have recently expired whilst training centres remain closed.

CISRS cards

Jess Hollowell, Support Services Manager at Simian, said, “Scaffolders are required to complete a CISRS CPD course at the five-year anniversary of the card and those who had existing bookings, or who had been intending to make a booking, have obviously been impacted by the forced closure of CISRS centres. We are currently working hard to reschedule postponed bookings and to meet the pent-up demand of those who have been unable to attend a training centre. Assuming there are no further lockdowns, we are aiming to be back to a normal delivery level by early Summer, when demand will again be based on those whose cards are due to expire.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel with the Government’s recent announcement of its roadmap out of lockdown and training centres have been given the green light to begin preparing for reopening from 8th March. This means that any scaffolders looking to attend CPD courses in order to renew their card can now look to book their place.

Those who had already booked a spot on a course that was ultimately postponed as a result of lockdown should shortly be contacted by the SIMIAN team to discuss rebooking onto new dates.