Deadline for exchanging Construction Site Operative (CSO) CSCS cards approaching fast

The deadline for exchanging workers' CSO cards is approaching fast, with current CSO card holders having only until January 31st 2015 to get a Provisional card if they're not yet eligible for the Skilled card, the CSCS has warned.

CSO cards were commonly viewed as the easiest card to obtain and, although they were intended for workers in Labouring occupations, are held by a large cross section of the industry's workforce, from Labourers and Skilled Workers to Site Managers and Professionals. This means many site workers carrying out skilled occupations currently hold the wrong type of card for their job.

A CSCS card certifies the individual has achieved relevant qualifications and training. All workers on construction sites should hold the correct qualifications and training for the type of work they carry out. Holding the wrong card makes it difficult for contractors to check site workers' qualifications and training.

As workers' CSO cards expire, cardholders or their employers have to decide which card they should apply for. CSO card holders who do not have the required qualifications to apply for a Skilled card can apply for a Provisional card. However, this option is only available to CSO card holders until January 31st 2015.

The Provisional card only lasts for six months and is not renewable. Before it expires Provisional cardholders must achieve or be registered for a recognised construction related qualification appropriate to their job.

CSCS Chief Executive Graham Wren says: "These are still early days, however industry is adapting well to the new requirements. Over 5,000 labourers have achieved a qualification and obtained the new CSCS Labourer card."

However, since July 1st 18,000 people have been issued with a Provisional card and it is important they understand their options when their card expires after six months. We are working hard to ensure that Provisional card holders know they must get qualified if they wish to obtain a Skilled card. CSO card holders need to be clear on the options available and make sure they put the necessary plans in place in good time."

Tensor CSCS Card Time and Attendance streamlines construction site access

Although CSCS cards are not site passports, health and safety cards or competency cards per se, construction workers and other people who hold a CSCS card can use their existing card to clock onto a Tensor Time & Attendance system and/or gain access to a construction site or similar, or use the CSCS card to gain access through turnstiles or car park barriers.

Within Tensor.NET there is a CSCS card wizard. This allows system users to quickly grant contractors access to their clocks and access control system.

One feature most companies will certainly appreciate is the possibility to fully customize badge creation, since the system allows templates for badges to be previewed by the user to see how their badge will appear, populating it with their personal details. Previewed badges can then be printed to any windows supported card printer.

The templates can be single or double sided, in landscape or portrait format and can include a variety of content types, including here text, images and barcodes.

If you'd like to find out more about Tensor's CSCS Wizard, just contact our dedicated product team or Book a Demo, our representatives will be more than happy to answer every and all of your queries.