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Fri March 29 2024

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Results published of SmartCard audit

27 Apr 17 The results of an industry-wide audit of SmartCards have now been published, highlighting growing use of the technology.

Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) SmartCards can be read using Android and Window smartphones and tablet devices that have near field communications capacity or card readers linked to a computer or laptop.

Build UK and CECA worked in partnership with CSCS and Reference Point and on the day of the audit, which involved 41 organisations across 570 sites, with more than 27,000 cards audited.

The results included:

  • 26% of cards were read using Smart technology and 39% of the organisations that participated used Smart technology
  • 715 expired cards were identified
  • 12 cards were found to be fraudulent and have been passed to the police for investigation.

Using technology to read a SmartCard, rather than relying on a visual check, allows the site manager to record the cardholder’s information and confirm whether the cardholder is qualified for the job they do on site.  Fraudulent cards are becoming more difficult to recognise and so using smart technology or the online card checker is seen the most efficient and reliable way to identify them.

Build UK and CECA carried out the audit in February to understand how widely Smart technology is being used to read CSCS skills cards in the industry. In 2015, the Construction Leadership Council agreed that the industry should specify and promote card schemes carrying the CSCS logo with no equivalents accepted. One of the requirements for card schemes carrying the CSCS logo is to implement a transition to ‘smart’ technology by 2020.

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MPU
MPU

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