Cards and tickets
CSCS cards explained
Most sites in London will not let you through the gate without the right card. Here is what each colour means, in plain words, and what we check before you start.
Green card
Labourer
Who: General and skilled labourers.
To get it: Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment and the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test.
Blue card
Skilled Worker
Who: Bricklayers, carpenters, groundworkers and other trades.
To get it: NVQ or SVQ Level 2 in the trade and the CITB test.
Gold card
Advanced Craft or Supervisor
Who: Experienced trades and supervisors.
To get it: NVQ Level 3, or a supervisory NVQ, and the CITB test.
Black card
Manager
Who: Site and project managers.
To get it: NVQ Level 6 or 7 in construction management and the CITB test.
Red card
Trainee or Provisional
Who: People working towards a qualification.
To get it: A registered course or apprenticeship and the CITB test. Time limited.
Other cards sites ask for
CPCS and NPORS are the plant cards. Each one lists the machine categories you are trained on, and the site will check the category against the machine, so we do too.
ECS and JIB cards are the electrical equivalent of CSCS for electricians and improvers.
SSSTS and SMSTS are the supervisor and manager safety courses. Most main contractors want one or the other for anyone running a gang or a site.
IPAF covers mobile elevating work platforms (cherry pickers and scissor lifts). Traffic marshall and vehicle banksman tickets cover site traffic and reversing vehicles.
What A1 Labour checks
We check every card on the card scheme itself before anyone is put forward, so an expired or borrowed card never reaches a site under our name. We also see right to work documents and speak to two references.
The CITB Health, Safety and Environment test sits behind every CSCS card and has to have been passed within the last two years when you apply for the card.
No card yet? Register anyway. Tell us what you have done and we will tell you which card and which test you need, and point you to where to book them. Labouring work with a Green card is the quickest way in.
Register
Got your card? Get on our books
Tell us your trade and your card and a consultant will ring you, usually within the hour on a weekday.