The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has joined forces with the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) to conduct an industry-wide survey aimed at assessing card scheme fraud and card checking procedures on UK construction sites.
Under current rules, all workers on construction sites should hold the correct qualifications and training for the type of work they carry out. Employers need to be confident that if they are shown a card, it is legitimate and that the person showing it has the appropriate qualifications to be carrying out their job on site.
The CITB says the use of fake cards in the construction industry was recently highlighted by the National Crime Agency’s prosecution of an organised gang dealing in false identity documentation, which included a number of construction industry certification cards.
Braden Connolly, head of product management at CITB, said:
“It is essential that steps are taken to stamp out the fraudsters.
“CITB continues to share intelligence and work with the authorities wherever the evidence suggests criminal activity is taking place.
“The survey will help us better understand the scale of the problem and assist us in tackling it. We hope it will also raise awareness of card fraud and encourage industry to carry out thorough card checks and to report suspect cards to CITB.”
The survey will focus on gaining a better understanding of the problems caused by fraudulent cards; how card checks are carried out on site and what information is verified; and how smart technology could be better employed to help tackle card fraud.
Graham Wren, chief executive of the CSCS, said:
“Unless people use consistent and accurate methods of checking cards to certificate workers’ training and qualifications, the schemes cannot fulfil the roles they were designed for.
“The smart technology within CSCS cards is a simple and cost-effective way to do this, and we are keen to find out more about how it is being utilised on sites across the UK.”
Anyone who works in construction can take part in the survey, which closes on March 31 2015.
