CSCS Statement: CISRS

Sean Kearns, CSCS Group CEO, said: “CSCS can confirm that it has received a formal termination notice from CISRS of its licence to use the CSCS Mark on CISRS cards, with a proposed termination date of 31 May 2027.

“The notice was unexpected, particularly as CSCS had been awaiting an update from CISRS on progress against its outstanding licence obligations under its existing licence. We are now following the established contractual and licensing process to ensure that the withdrawal and subsequent carding transition is managed properly.

“We are disappointed that CISRS chose to communicate its withdrawal publicly before a transition plan had been discussed with (and approved by) CSCS and before the implications of their decision for industry had been fully considered.

“We also do not agree with CISRS’s interpretation of the Construction Leadership Council’s requirements relating to non-construction occupations. Scaffolding is an occupation undertaken within construction. The fact that scaffolding skills may also be required in other sectors does not, in our view, mean that scaffolders working in construction should no longer have access to a CSCS-logoed card.

“Equally, CISRS has construction in its title, one of the scaffolding sector Standard Setting Bodies is the Construction Industry Training Board [1] and scaffolding has never been listed as a non-construction occupation.

“The Construction Leadership Council’s reach only touches construction, the built environment and related occupations.

“Indeed, other CSCS Alliance schemes successfully accommodate occupations that operate across other industries by providing CSCS-logoed cards for construction and, where appropriate, alternative non-logoed cards for work outside construction. We and many card schemes therefore do not believe the CLC requirement creates any conflict as CISRS has recently suggested.

“It is also important to recognise that this principle is not new. Equivalent wording concerning non-construction occupations has featured in the CLC requirements published in 2017, 2020 and 2024. CISRS has operated as a CSCS Alliance scheme throughout that period and never raised this issue until this month.

“The list of non-construction occupations is reviewed and updated periodically and has been listed on the CSCS website for many years. Against that background, we do not share the view that the current wording creates an immediate contractual risk – we can’t see what has changed since 2017, CISRS need to explain.

“We must also challenge the description of CISRS as the ‘actual recognised standard-setting body’ for construction scaffolding. CISRS has an important role within the sector, but standards, qualifications, competence requirements and carding arrangements involve a number of organisations. Where the same organisation has roles in both developing requirements and operating the card scheme against those requirements, it is particularly important that responsibilities and governance are clear.

“The defined standard setting bodies for scaffolding are CITB and ECITB and remain as such. The full title of CISRS is the Construction Industry Scaffolding Record Scheme, its full registered company details linked here clearly show its articles named as such.

“CSCS’s immediate priority is to support the thousands of existing cardholders, apprentices, employers, training providers and others who rely on established carding arrangements and may be prejudiced by CISRS’s action. The transition sought by CISRS must therefore be controlled, orderly and properly communicated, as has been the case with other schemes that have withdrawn from holding a licence to issue CSCS logoed cards.

“It would be premature to speculate about future arrangements or alternative provision until CISRS has provided its proposed withdrawal and transition plan. Wider communications to industry will follow once that has been received and the transition arrangements have been considered with CSCS in its capacity as Licensor.

“Whatever future carding arrangements emerge, employers and contractors will continue to have responsibilities under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and other applicable requirements to ensure that people working on construction sites are appropriately trained and qualified – relevant competence standards across construction, engineering construction and the energy and utilities sectors will therefore continue to apply.”

[1] The other being ECITB