If you’re from the UK or Ireland, you’ve probably heard this question at one point in your career: is CSCS card the same as safe pass?
The thing is, even though While the CSCS card and the SafePass have the same objective (to raise the safety standard in the construction industry and ensure that every worker has the proper qualifications) they are entirely different construction certifications.
The CSCS card is a non-legal requirement certification still widely recognized by most construction sites in the UK. This card is an industry standard that proves a construction worker has the right qualifications and training to work on a site.
On the other hand, the SafePass is a mandatory one-day safety awareness training program for construction workers. Undergoing this program and acquiring the SafePass means you are qualified to work on construction sites without being a dangerous risk to yourself and those around you.
In Ireland, employers must ensure that all employees carry a SafePass.
Ready to Get Your CSCS Green Card?
Ready to Get Your CSCS Green Card?
Key similarities and differences
Before I can answer the question: Is CSCS card the same as safepass?, I want to start by telling you the similairites between these two, first.
They are both construction certifications, but it’s easy to confuse them with each other. Though, with them being both certifications, it’s easy to confuse them with each other.
To help, here are the key similarities and differences to better understand each certification:
Similarities
Among the main critical similarities between them is their purpose. While they differ in many ways, a CSCS card and safe pass exist primarily for the same reasons:
- To ensure that workers in a construction site possess the proper qualifications for their job.
- To keep the worker and everyone else on the site safe.
To further drive the point, Nathaniel Hobby from Blur It shared, “The cards provide peace of mind to both employers and the public as they have knowledge that the construction workers are aware of health and safety and adhere to proper guidelines.”
Differences
While both are construction certifications with the same purpose, these cards are entirely different. Their main difference lies in their legal status.
Unlike the CSCS card, which is primarily an industry standard rather than a legal obligation, the safe pass is a mandatory requirement for all construction workers in Ireland.
Safety CSM, an accredited SafePass training provider, supported this by claiming employers and companies are legally required to ensure that their workers on construction sites have a Safe Pass. They elaborated that, as a result, employers need to ensure that all construction workers are properly trained.
Aside from that, the CSCS card and safe pass also differ in requirement and application.
Details about CSCS cards
A CSCS card, or the Construction Skills Certification Scheme, is a certification for construction workers in the UK.
It is a card that proves that you are trained and qualified for the job and work you are doing or applying for.
The card is not mandatory, nor is it a legal obligation in the UK. Nonetheless, it is still a requirement set by most construction sites in the industry. In fact, most contractors require that you hold a CSCS card before you’re even allowed on site to work!
It is no surprise that construction companies and firms, both large and small, are rallying behind the CSCS card. Ensuring that the entire workforce has the card can also guarantee improved health and safety standards across the work environment.
To apply and get a CSCS Labourers card (the most basic CSCS card), you will need to enrol and complete the CITB health safety and environment test. Aside from that, you will also need to pass and complete the Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment test.
If you’re applying for a higher position card, you will need better and higher qualifications. For instance, you must complete a construction-related NVQ at level 6 to get a manager card. After that, you must still take the CITB test to apply for the CSCS card.
Details about SafePass
A safe pass is a mandatory one-day safety awareness program for construction employees and workers in Ireland. Unlike the CSCS card, the safe pass is a legal requirement every employer in Ireland must impose.
The program aims to raise safety and health awareness and standards in the construction industry. By undergoing and completing the program, construction workers can learn how to work on sites without posing any risk or danger to themselves and others.
According to the HSA, the program can also contribute positively to preventing “accidents and ill health while working on the site.”
SOLAS is the organization responsible for running and managing the Safe Pass program. Under them, they could set objectives and goals to help make the program more worthwhile and valuable.
Ireland’s Citizens Information website elaborated on these aims. According to them, the Safe Pass program’s objectives are to:
- Ensure that all construction site employees do basic safety and health awareness training to help prevent accidents and generally avoid health hazards on site
- Raise the overall safety awareness standards in the industry
- Offer all Safe Pass holders a Safe Pass registration card that indicates they attended and completed the formal course.
- Maintain a register of local authority workers and construction sites receiving health and safety training.
The Safe Pass is a nationally recognized certification that all workers on the construction site must get to qualify for work. It includes trainees, apprentices, and on-site security workers.
Employers and contractors must also ensure that every person under their direct control has a Safe Pass.
Factors to consider when choosing a certification
Workers in various fields can benefit immensely from a relevant certification.
Certification can take you a long way in your career path. Though, with so many certifications, it is sometimes hard to choose which one to go for.
To help, here are the necessary factors to consider when selecting a certificate:
Geographical Location
Where you are matters when choosing a relevant certification for your career. In this case, if you’re living in the UK, you will still need to own a CSCS card even if you have a Safe Pass.
A safe pass from Ireland might only do for some construction sites in the UK. As an admin from Construction Site Skills wrote, “The Card has become an industry standard, with more than 80% of all UK building sites operating a “No Card, No Work” policy.”
The same should apply to the CSCS card in Ireland. The country has required a Safe Pass to work on a construction site.
Project Requirements
Different projects require a different set of requirements. Note that employers and clients are different, with some having more specific wants than others.
There might be project requirements requiring CSCS cards rather than Safe Pass cards. There should be others that would require the opposite. Of course, there will undoubtedly be ones that would prefer you to have both. It will come down to the project requirements.
Job Roles
Job roles will, of course, require a certification more than the other. If you’re from the UK, expect most job roles to require a CSCS card rather than a Safe Pass. Job roles in Ireland will, undoubtedly, require a Safe Pass than any other construction certifications.
FAQS
The UK CSCS card is usually accepted in Northern Ireland though it would be best to check with the construction site or company.
The CITB and FÁS have a mutual agreement whereby the CITB Safety Awareness Training Program and the FÁS Safe Pass Program are officially recognized as equals. Though the case, the deal does not guarantee that a safe pass will be accepted in UK construction sites since UK employers are not required to recognize Safe Pass cards.
Yes. To gain a CSCS card or Safe Pass, the individual must complete the appropriate training required and relevant to the certification of their choice.
Yes, as long as you qualify for the card, you can apply for them.
So, is the CSCS card the same as SafePass?
While they have the same purpose (raising safety awareness in construction sites), these certifications differ in a lot of ways.
A CSCS card is a certification scheme that is an industry standard in the UK. Meanwhile, the Safe Pass is a mandatory one-day safety training program that all workers in Ireland must complete.
Though they have different meanings and requirements, these certifications have one massive thing in common — they strive to better the health and safety standards in the construction industry.
If you are in the UK and are planning to apply for your CSCS card, we can help you at TrainInHealthAndSafety.com. Our courses can help you pass the grueling CITB test and aim for your preferred card.
One of our top courses, the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety within the Construction Environment, should help you apply for the Green “Labourer” card.
