Why is the CSCS green card no longer being issued?

Since the CSCS Cards were introduced, back in the early-1990’s, we have had a Green Card listed among those available.

Their introduction was a bit chaotic! The Agency I was working through at the time entered me for a Supervisor’s Card even though they had me in a contract as a Site Manager! I did manage to get that resolved, but I can’t recollect what colour my card was! My current one is black.

Anyway – back to the Green Card that is no longer being issued. This was a Construction Site Operative’s card.

Now, by the very name almost anyone working on a construction site was, and is, a “Construction Site Operative”!

The only ones who aren’t are the very important people, like I used to be before I retired, who just swan around site all day wearing a suit and tie! 🙂

This Green Card was the lowest qualification, and so the easiest to get, of the CSCS Cards which were targeted at improving H&S on construction sites. By its very name it was a valid option for anyone from Labourer to skilled trades. It was also probably the cheapest in terms of courses required in preparation and the Tests.

Its attraction to everyone was obvious!

Only the most fair-minded or boastful tradesmen wanted to make their lives difficult by applying for some other card which would have cost them more time and money!

This has eventually been realised and that is why the CSCS Green Card, Construction Site Operative is no longer being issued!

Employees are being forced to take tests which will better show their awareness of the particular H&S issues involved in their particular trades.

But even with what may have been abuse of the old Green Card Construction Site Operative, we have seen benefits! According to HSE statistics, fatalities in construction have been halved from about 100 a year in 1990, when the Cards were introduced, to fewer than 50 in 2014!