21 May Covid-19 Impact on CSCS

The growing concerns surrounding Coronavirus (COVID-19) is impacting CSCS’s ability to issue cards to first-time applicants or those wishing to renew their card prior to expiry.

A key requirement for all applications (new or renewal) is proof that the applicant has passed the relevant CITB Health, safety and environment (HS&E) test within the last 2 years.

Current position

Following the Government announcement on 10 May, CITB is re-establishing the Health, Safety and Environment testing operations in England. All Pearson Professional Centres in England will be operational from Monday 18 May with the ITC network being phased back on a one by one basis once they have confirmed the implementation of new social distancing measures.

For further information from CITB, visit the HS&E Test section of the CITB urgent messages page.

What steps are CSCS taking?

We recognise that construction workers may face delays in obtaining a card while test centres put the necessary plans in place to re-start delivering the test. Therefore, we are asking the industry to support the following temporary measures:

1. Employers and those responsible for site access and card checking procedures to use their discretion towards workers whose cards have expired since March onward. But a worker must always hold the correct card for the job they do on site.

This is at the employer’s discretion until the situation has stabilised.  

2. CSCS has extended the grace period for card renewals from 6 months after the card expires to 12 months. This means that the card can be renewed, once the CITB HS&E test has been passed, up to one year from the card’s expiry date.

This will assist those applicants struggling to find availability to sit the test and renew their card.  

We are in unprecedented times. Employers should expect their workers to hold a valid CSCS card as proof of their training and qualifications. However, until COVID-19 is brought under control we are asking the industry to support these temporary measures.

Keep informed

CSCS will continue to monitor the situation and where necessary introduce further proactive measures to limit the impact on CSCS applicants and the wider industry.

Go here to view what the other card schemes are doing re: Covid-19.

We appreciate your support during this time and ask that you to continue to visit this web page for the latest updates from CSCS.

Any enquiries related to this matter should be emailed to communications@cscs.co.uk