Health and safety test centres opened in England on Monday 18 May 2020.  These centres are currently working at 50% capacity due to social distancing requirements.  The intention is to open centres for longer periods which should bring them up to 90% provision.  For further information on Test Centres visit CITB Urgent Messages and look under ‘HS&E Test’.

CSCS cards cost £36 and all CITB HS&E tests cost £21.  There are a number of organisations that offer card application services.  If you are being charged more than £36 for a card or £21 for a CITB Health, Safety & Environment test, please check that you understand what additional services you will receive.  The cheapest and quickest way to apply for a card will be to apply directly to CSCS via the online application service.

CSCS 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, CSCS are asking the industry to support the following temporary measures:

  • 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.

  • CSCS has extended the grace period for card renewals from six 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.

Commenting FIS Skills and Training Lead George Swann said: “The wider construction industry expects reliable proof of training and qualifications, a CSCS card registration is one way of showing training has been achieved and qualifications are held.  Major contractors expect operatives to hold a valid CSCS card.  However, until COVID-19 is brought under control CSCS are asking the industry to work within the spirt of these temporary measures.  FIS fully supports the measures CSCS has put in place to support the finishes and interiors sector.”

For more information please see: Covid-19 CSCS Applying for Cards