By offering the test alongside formwork and scaffolding training, Peri aims to avoid a common cause of delayed starts and simplify operatives' route to professional capability.
The initiative helps address a common issue PERI UK has identified as being experienced by training providers across the industry, where delegates arrive for courses without a current HS&E test certificate, preventing them from starting their scheduled training and creating unnecessary delays to a construction timeline.
The HS&E test is an established industry-recognised assessment associated with construction competence and card schemes. Candidates undertaking CISRS-accredited scaffolding training must have a current HS&E test, with tests valid for five years.
“People were arriving ready to complete their training only to discover their health and safety test had expired or they hadn't completed one at all,” explains Terry Hall, field services manager at Peri UK. “That meant they couldn't continue with the course and had to leave to arrange another assessment.
“By offering the test alongside our training, we're removing that obstacle. Candidates can complete everything they need in one place and continue with their training without unnecessary delays.”
Previously, candidates would typically have taken the HS&E test at a separate test centre, often at locations that also provide driving theory tests.
The HS&E test is relevant across Peri UK’s training provision and is not limited to scaffolding courses. It complements the company’s wider training programmes covering scaffolding, formwork, climbing systems, and other product training.
All candidates receive joining instructions confirming that a current HS&E test is required before training. However, where a candidate arrives without a valid test, the availability of the assessment at the training centre provides an opportunity to complete it on the day rather than having to postpone their training.
“Training shouldn't simply be about compliance,” Hall said. “It's about ensuring people are genuinely competent before they go onto site. The better prepared someone is before they begin work, the safer they'll be, the more confident they'll become and the better the outcome for the project.”