A site audit conducted by members of the ECA/HVCA Joint Major Contractors’ Group (JMCG) has revealed continued 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 87% were able to produce cards issued by Engineering Services SKILLcard or under the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS), both of which accredit skills of cardholders and their awareness of health and safety issues.

The results compare favourably with 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 positive results. The ECS validates both technical competence and health and safety awareness, which ensures operatives, and everyone around them, are able to work safely.”

Meikle revealed 170 000 valid ECS cards were now held in the electrotechnical sector.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor