Check your CSCS card - it might be back to school time!

[JerryRtilt]

What a load of bollocks.

I’m slowly adding to my list of firms that ask for CHAS and tickets, then employ me anyway when I tell them I don’t do that s**t. Here’s the most recent job for a factory- just a simple bollard replacement, completed in three hours with a quick hand from their forklift op. Easy £400 on my own and done by ten AM- but installed properly. Surround all compacted with air tamper and then the top concrete mixed with SBR so it doesn’t crack. Best to take a knock from a lorry and be easy to pull and replace than to have concrete all the way down and a nightmare to swap out.

Another job we do for them is clean the water jet pit. Grab out the copper scraps, bucket and shovel out the garnet sand. Remove the filtration system, properly jet it (they used to just hold a domestic pressure washer at one end and hope for the best ) and then make any welding repairs needed (tig, stainless) before reinstalling.

Can you imagine the cost of employing three different CHAS accredited firms to do that??? I’m with @V8Druid - they will soon change your tune if you can do what others can’t. View attachment 43725View attachment 43726View attachment 43727View attachment 43728View attachment 43729View attachment 43730View attachment 43731

Funny how they can turn a blind eye when they need to get something done, method statements and risk assessments wind me up also, just something else that takes time/costs money and just gets filled away by some twat in a office who probably doesn't understand what he's looking at.

 

[hiluxman]

Its all very well you retired lot saying you wouldn't bother, and I don't blame you. For many nearing retirement, this will be a step to far, but for those of us a little younger, its an unfortunate reality that a lot of sites still demand a card as a basic level of competence. We have no choice really if you want to have the opportunity to do certain work.
The idea of improving the workforce through training is a valiant one, but the idea of effectively deciding that decades of experience pre CSCS cards counts for nothing is preposterous, belittling, and downright insulting.

I'm probably younger than you.

 

[6feetdown]

I've somehow muddled through for about the last 15 -20 years without a card, and its definitely a step to far now, but i sympathise with the younger generation, there's few enough youngsters coming into the industry without making it harder for them.
As far a I'm concerned the sites that insist on cards are probably run by the companies that keep you waiting for 90 + days for your money, and i count myself lucky to be able to avoid them nowadays.

I'm the same. In my rams if I need them I do not specify tickets. If they are given the ok shouldn't be any issue

 

[Gunners]

How do those of you without tickets of any kind prove you have training in what you do?

 

[Shovelhands]

Smoke and mirrors

 

[JerryRtilt]

By looking old and knackered

 

[Storrsy]

How do those of you without tickets of any kind prove you have training in what you do?

Yeah I wondered that because even though I don't do building site work, some of the organisations I do work for have an approved contractors list which involves sending insurance docs and "tickets" every year to update their database. Never actually been asked once on site to show anything though.
I just have the NPORS 10 ton and under one which was quite straightforward to obtain and is enough to satisfy the "ticket" requirement.
I'm with Doobin though, had a few that want me to do work and when they send over their contractor compliancy form theres no way I can satisfy it all as a one man band but still seem to get the job anyway .

 

[Storrsy]

I guess it's probably something the insurance cos would look for in the event of a claim too though...

 

[Storrsy]

Funny how they can turn a blind eye when they need to get something done, method statements and risk assessments wind me up also, just something else that takes time/costs money and just gets filled away by some twat in a office who probably doesn't understand what he's looking at.

I agree. And find it particularly pointless being a solo operator just writing one out for myself to read/consult! Again it's just a box ticking exercise, Tbh I just keep a generic one and modify site details accordingly as generally for most jobs the risks are much the same for me.

 

[V8Druid]

have probably recounted this one before ...
used to do a LOT of work for BWW before they became a fkn charity and run on volunteer labour ...
Kev who ran the local office, worked his way up from the bank side, clever fella, knew his sh1t and was a friend to boot, came in one day with upwards of a ream of paper.
said they now had to put all their outsourcing through one designated outfit and had to get on the 'list' - for which you had to pay for the privilege, whether you got anything from it or not .. and the ream was the compliance paperwork .
took it from Kev, pulled the waste paper bin from under my desk and 'filed' it ... "been nice working for you Kev .. now d'ya want a cuppa? "
He was back in less than a week with a couple of jobs ... their 'list builders' had no one to do what we did, often at a moment's notice .... last I ever heard of the 'designated outfit' or their poxy approved list.

had same attitude with crane tickets ...
" This has expired "
" my abilities, experience, knowledge and skills didn't though -- I'm here - do you want me to leave or get on with the job ? "

never left a site 'cos of it .

 

[pettsy]

I have to do a reassessment for my gas every 5 years. £800ish and 3 days for the basics, more if you do specialist elements. Any installation work is registered and can be inspected at any time. Meanwhile your “man down the pub” is unregistered and unlikely to ever get found out.

 

[V8Druid]

have probably recounted this one before ...
used to do a LOT of work for BWW before they became a fkn charity and run on volunteer labour ...
Kev who ran the local office, worked his way up from the bank side, clever fella, knew his sh1t and was a friend to boot, came in one day with upwards of a ream of paper.
said they now had to put all their outsourcing through one designated outfit and had to get on the 'list' - for which you had to pay for the privilege, whether you got anything from it or not .. and the ream was the compliance paperwork .
took it from Kev, pulled the waste paper bin from under my desk and 'filed' it ... "been nice working for you Kev .. now d'ya want a cuppa? "
He was back in less than a week with a couple of jobs ... their 'list builders' had no one to do what we did, often at a moment's notice .... last I ever heard of the 'designated outfit' or their poxy approved list.

had same attitude with crane tickets ...
" This has expired "
" my abilities, experience, knowledge and skills didn't though -- I'm here - do you want me to leave or get on with the job ? "

never left a site 'cos of it .

same thing happened with Keith, the guy who had done their mowing and hedge cutting on the tow paths for years ...
the outfit that followed on from him lasted less than two weeks and put three traccies in the canal - nearly one fatality in the process - Keith was soon back on the job, with all his dedicated kit and years of knowledge and experience ... no ream of paperwork or 'paying to be in the club'

 

[V8Druid]

I have to do a reassessment for my gas every 5 years. £800ish and 3 days for the basics, more if you do specialist elements. Any installation work is registered and can be inspected at any time. Meanwhile your “man down the pub” is unregistered and unlikely to ever get found out.

I can understand the refreshers with your line of work Matt ... stuff moves on so quick and not difficult to 'cowboy' yer way into a disaster .... but .... with your years of experience you should not be having to pay ... new starters - understandable .. same should apply to all refreshers/renewals with experienced ppl ... not valued enough .... it's this sort of sh1t that drives the more experienced older guys to quit

 

[pettsy]

I can understand the refreshers with your line of work Matt ... stuff moves on so quick and not difficult to 'cowboy' yer way into a disaster .... but .... with your years of experience you should not be having to pay ... new starters - understandable .. same should apply to all refreshers/renewals with experienced ppl ... not valued enough .... it's this sort of sh1t that drives the more experienced older guys to quit

The crazy thing is, they don’t move with the times. Still re-assessed on appliances that haven’t been installed for 15+ years. I guess you could compare Cscs and gas safe as similar kinda things. Mean well, but not necessarily helping keep quality and standards like they should do.

 

[Grahams]

How do those of you without tickets of any kind prove you have training in what you do?

When we buy a new machine we ask for instruction on it and a certificate to prove we have been instructed how to use it.
As it is not a legal requirement to have CSCS tickets any competent person can sign off a company ticket saying the person is competent. I train my guys then when I’m happy to let them loose I give them a ticket. We have one regular job that always ask for tickets and are happy with this. No-one else asks, but bare in mind what we do is pretty niche.

 

[Big Jordy]

This is it.. tickets are not a legal requirement. And it boils my piss people saying you need a CSCS or CPCS card to get a job, I don’t know about any of you but I’ve seen people with cards supposed experienced plant operator and they couldn’t drive a goat to the buck.. I’d rather show someone how to do it and let them learn for themselves.. granted alot of times you can’t let someone loose on a machine but if you can that’s the way to do it, doing the job is the best way of learning especially in machine terms I think..

When we buy a new machine we ask for instruction on it and a certificate to prove we have been instructed how to use it.
As it is not a legal requirement to have CSCS tickets any competent person can sign off a company ticket saying the person is competent. I train my guys then when I’m happy to let them loose I give them a ticket. We have one regular job that always ask for tickets and are happy with this. No-one else asks, but bare in mind what we do is pretty niche.

 

[V8Druid]

When we buy a new machine we ask for instruction on it and a certificate to prove we have been instructed how to use it.
As it is not a legal requirement to have CSCS tickets any competent person can sign off a company ticket saying the person is competent. I train my guys then when I’m happy to let them loose I give them a ticket. We have one regular job that always ask for tickets and are happy with this. No-one else asks, but bare in mind what we do is pretty niche.

had a massive argument with a 'trainee' factory inspector many moons ago about exactly this and my guy's use of FLTs and cranes in my yard/workshop .... her 'mentor', who was with her, had to concede that I was right .. my gear and if I was happy that they were competent, was up to me whether they used it or not ... she left with her tail between her legs, after having to apologise that she was wrong. As Gra, I and many more have said many times before ... there is no legal requirement for all these utter bollox tickets

 

[Smiffy]

had a massive argument with a 'trainee' factory inspector many moons ago about exactly this and my guy's use of FLTs and cranes in my yard/workshop .... her 'mentor', who was with her, had to concede that I was right .. my gear and if I was happy that they were competent, was up to me whether they used it or not ... she left with her tail between her legs, after having to apologise that she was wrong. As Gra, I and many more have said many times before ... there is no legal requirement for all these utter bollox tickets

But it's an easy way round the problem that most site managers would be incapable of telling who's good and who isn't as they haven't worked their way up

 

[Canal Navvy]

Site managers must be able to judge who on their site is safe and competent in their current role without help. If they didn't have that basic competency they wouldn't be able to legitimately hold a management card.

Is that too simplistic a view ?

 

[kabin man]

I’ve got a Tesco Club card and a membership card to a gym I was once talked into attending.

ive a cetrificate for rescuing a rubber brick form the bottom of a pool in my pajamas.
I honestly think that was a harder achievement than my recent NPORS ticket..
The trainer used by the firm i worked for few yrs back was told 'all of our guys pass or we find another trainer'.
Tickets were given to some complete tools.. I dont mind real training/learning but its a stitch up in most cases..