Cscs cards

[SteveDru]

Hiya

 

I've been asked the qestion today what cscs cards (if any) are needed when being involved in the construction of marquees/comms equiptment/medical facilities on sites where the build phase is active. Working got a medical provider we have an exemption as such if we are the emergency provider that we don't need one to enter any site but will follow the site manager ect and use our ppe that is a helmet with visor and hi vis/boots.

But it got me thinking when we do a build on a festival site for the medical facilities most of us are duel trained as medical providers but should we have cscs cards? Many of us in management have IOSH working safely so we deal with H&S anyway, but up until now we have never been asked for anything like a cscs card dispite everyone around us having them?

[sunray]

I'll give a little tip for when you do get CSCS cards.

 

Make sure you read the sample questions and learn THEIR answers.

As the card is aimed at working on building sites THEIR answers may be different to your personal work experience.

 

As an example a friend of mine worked in a hire shop and his work included repairing tools, maintaining access equipment etc. 'repairing the tool' was not the correct answer to the question 'What do you do if an electric tool has a damaged cable', he was unlucky enough to get a selection of similarly (in)appropriate questions and failed the test.

[empyfree]

We had to go down the Cscs route when doing a big event for the launch of a new shopping centre. It was a buildup my site until the night before the launch.

 

The course was organised by the main contractor, and run in their H&S compound on the site, it was painfully long and about as relevant as a ballet degree... but it was “the rules” so we sat down and cracked on.

[ImagineerTom]

Marquees have (finally) officially being removed from cscs so you don’t need it for that.

[sunray]

We had to go down the Cscs route when doing a big event for the launch of a new shopping centre.   It was a buildup my site until the night before the launch.  The course was organised by the main contractor, and run in their H&S compound on the site, it was painfully long and about as relevant as a ballet degree...   but it was "the rules" so we sat down and cracked on.

 

I've never heard of a course for CSCS before. Just signing to say you have had their book of questions for a certain time and sitting at their laptop for 5 minutes.

[bigclive]

As an example a friend of mine worked in a hire shop and his work included repairing tools, maintaining access equipment etc. 'repairing the tool' was not the correct answer to the question 'What do you do if an electric tool has a damaged cable', he was unlucky enough to get a selection of similarly (in)appropriate questions and failed the test.

 

That applies to a lot of the questions. You have to think of what an office worker would want to hear as you answer most of them.

 

A lot of the questions are embarrassingly detached from reality and quite condescending too.

[empyfree]

I've never heard of a course for CSCS before. Just signing to say you have had their book of questions for a certain time and sitting at their laptop for 5 minutes.

 

It was all wrapped up with the contractors own site induction program. I think the facilitators most common phrase was “you don’t need to understand why, just learn the answers”. What a great attitude!

[sunray]

"you don't need to understand why, just learn the answers".  What a great attitude!

 

 

Oh how useful, it adds to the belief this is just a money making scheme and of no actual benefit.

[bigclive]

While attempting to remove a well lodged ground pin with a forklift it comes out suddenly, flies through the air and lands in the middle of a group of pedestrians.

 

Do you:-

 

A. Pretend nothing happened and deny all knowledge.

B. Rush over and grab the pin before anyone can get photographic evidence.

C. Rush at the pedestrians waving your arms and ranting about them being in a restricted area.

D. Immediately call HSE and tell them you have committed a violation and will surrender to imprisonment.

 

The correct answer is B. Swiftly remove all evidence. Your coworkers should also be trained in fast evidence removal to ensure minimum delay between any incident and complete removal of all evidence that anything actually happened.

[nuttytechy]

While attempting to remove a well lodged ground pin with a forklift it comes out suddenly, flies through the air and lands in the middle of a group of pedestrians.

 

Do you:-

 

A. Pretend nothing happened and deny all knowledge.

B. Rush over and grab the pin before anyone can get photographic evidence.

C. Rush at the pedestrians waving your arms and ranting about them being in a restricted area.

D. Immediately call HSE and tell them you have committed a violation and will surrender to imprisonment.

 

The correct answer is B. Swiftly remove all evidence. Your coworkers should also be trained in fast evidence removal to ensure minimum delay between any incident and complete removal of all evidence that anything actually happened.

 

 

I totally concur with this. All of your coworkers must be trained in incidents like these. I would like to add that they must be trained in using an excuses just incase someone did see. An excuse like it was calculated to fall in that area should be sufficient and all went exactly as planned.

If HSE get a whiff of the incident mention to HSE that when you stopped that you used HandBrake and Neutral and put your forks down onto the ground then you will be fine.