I recently enrolled in a course for the Waste Awareness (Construction) foundation level certificate. I regret to say that it was a complete and utter ‘waste’ of time.

The knowledge imparted was minimal. The cynicism of the attendees was at a maximum and in true bureaucratic form it took three months for the Certificate of Awareness to arrive. It proclaims foolishly ‘You are Aware’, and expires in five years.

The day I allocated to this procedure and the money lost in earnings, plus the fee, was a futile attempt to demonstrate CPD. I’ve just been told that my CSCS card expires this year. No one has ever asked to see it and in any case the health & safety questions and exam format do not prove competence so why should I bother to renew?

This farce of box ticking and propping up a bloated bureaucracy, some day, has to stop. Has anyone the courage?

Grahame Wiggin MCIOB