CSCS Alliance: The CSCS Smart Check App & What It Means For The Industry
Since its inception in 1995, the Construction Skills Certification Scheme has been the leading provider of CSCS cards for construction professionals within the building industry, allowing workers to show managers and contractors that they are competent and aware of the health & safety protocols when working on-site. With over 1.6 million card holders in the UK, there is no doubt that the demand for a more efficient means to check construction qualifications is needed within the industry. This article will discuss how the CSCS Smart Check App will operate and what it means for the industry in terms of CSCS card certification.
What is the CSCS?
The Construction Skills Certification Scheme provides physical cards as proof for individuals working in construction that they have undergone the relevant training and hold the appropriate qualifications for the role they do on-site. By ensuring all workers are properly trained in health and safety when working in construction, it should lead to the overall safety of UK construction sites improving as a result. Although they are not a legislative requirement, the majority of principal contractors across the UK require workers to hold a valid CSCS card in order to enter a construction site.
For more information about CSCS, click here.
How did this come to be?
In early 2015, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) announced at the ‘Industrial Strategy: Construction 2025’, a partnership between industry and government to transform the construction industry to deliver significant growth, that construction should specify and promote schemes displaying the CSCS logo and allowing no other equivalents. This is known as the ‘One Industry Logo’ action.
In December 2020, the CLC gave a further update to its requirement regarding the application of smart technology to card certification schemes, stating that:
“by 31st March 2022, all card schemes must use smart technology which has the capability to electronically check agreed information relevant to a cardholder, using a common interface, without the need to manually enter data”.
As a result, a total of 38 schemes have agreed to meet this requirement, allowing the CSCS Smart Check App to be operational by April 2022.
The CSCS Smart Check App
The CSCS Alliance group, along with other CSCS partners, plan to release the new CSCS Smart Check App that is slated to revolutionise card verifications procedures across the industry. With the rollout of the app set to begin from April 2022, the Smart Check App will have the capabilities of scanning QR codes to validate both physical and virtual CSCS cards; allowing all 2.1 million cards displaying the CSCS logo the ability to be electronically verified on the app.
For employers, the Smart Check App provides them with a quick, easy and secure way of ensuring every worker on-site has the appropriate qualifications for the job. By having a single app to check all card types on-site, it will make it easier for those in charge on construction projects by avoiding having to manually check if CSCS cards are genuine and in-date.
The CSCS Smart Check App will be available and free to use on both android and iOS devices.
What can apps such as SkillFlow & CSCS Smart Check App do for the industry?
Similar to the Smart Check App, we at Construction Helpline have also been working behind the scenes to provide further progress in digitally revolutionising the construction industry with our soon-to-be-released app, SkillFlow. Like the CSCS Smart Check App, SkillFlow is an online app that acts as a digital way for skilled workers to show proof that they are qualified for on-site work. With its cloud-based system, it allows qualification information to be recorded, shared and reported between employees and employers.
Apps such as SkillFlow and the CSCS Smart Check App will aid in raising the bar in terms of competency in the industry, while tackling fraud amongst card holders. The Smart Check App will help tackle fraudulent cards by warning construction site managers and the CSCS themselves in order to cancel them; also alerting the authorities when needed. The construction industry has the highest percentage of trafficked persons working, but with these applications, we can help battle and hopefully lead to the end of modern slavery.
Although the number of fraudulent cards is below 1%, any amount of fraud within construction is clearly not acceptable and needs to be proactively addressed, with the CSCS stating that they will work with “law enforcement to eradicate fraudulent activity and keep the workforce and wider public safe”.
Summary
The release of the CSCS Smart Check App and SkillFlow will be a first in the industry, paving the way for the digital potential construction has to offer. Stay tuned for our future blog posts and social media platforms for more news on what is happening in UK construction.