JMCG site audit confirms ongoing registration scheme support

A site audit conducted by the members of the ECA/HVCA Joint Major Contractors’ Group (JMCG) has revealed continuing high membership levels for the building services engineering sector’s two principal personnel registration schemes.

The audit took in almost 16 000 site-based individuals. It revealed that 87% were able to produce cards issued by Engineering Services SKILLcard or under the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS), both of which accredit the skills of cardholders and their awareness of health and safety issues.

The results compare favourably to those gathered from previous site audits in October 2006 (86%) and April 2005 (84%).

This year’s figure was marginally higher among directly employed operatives, 88% of whom were able to produce cards. Subcontractors recorded 86%, agency labour 85%, and others such as staff personnel and visitors 80%.

Alex Meikle, head of employee relations at the ECA, said: “I am very pleased to hear these really positive results. The ECS validates both technical competence and health and safety awareness, which ensures that operatives, and everyone around them, are able to work safely.

Meikle revealed that the number of valid ECS cards is continuing to grow, with 170 000 now held by individuals across the electrotechnical sector.

Peter Rimmer, head of employment affairs at the HVCA, commented: “The results of this third audit further underline the extent to which the management and workforce of JMCG member companies have come to recognise the importance of the sector’s personnel registration schemes in demonstrating individual competence and contributing positively to health and safety awareness.”

Rimmer confirmed that more than 67 000 SKILLcards had been issued since the introduction of the scheme in the autumn of 2001.