CISRS launches scaffold inspection card scheme
June 1st 2010

The CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) has launched two long awaited additions to their card scheme, Basic Scaffold Inspection and Advanced Scaffold Inspection. Inspection of Scaffolding by a competent person is a statutory legal requirement (Working At Height Regulations 2005). It is essential that the person carrying out these inspections has the relevant knowledge, industry experience and has received specific training.

Other courses currently available in the market vary widely in content, duration and quality and as such the competence levels of scaffold inspectors varies widely across the UK. It has become apparent that the training or assessment regimes and the experience required for qualifying a scaffold inspector need to be more stringent.

Basic Inspection

This course is aimed at persons responsible for inspecting Tube and Fitting scaffolds and completing a report in accordance with the Working At Height Regulations 2005. CISRS would expect prospective delegates to have some awareness and experience of scaffolding structures.

This experience will need to be demonstrated by the production of a CV with contactable references. Advanced Scaffold Inspection This course is aimed at persons responsible for inspecting complex tube and fitting scaffolds and completing a report in accordance with Work at Height Regulations 2005. This course would require prospective delegates to have held the CISRS Basic Inspection Card for a minimum of 2 years prior to attending the Advanced Course.

The CISRS Advanced Scaffold Inspection card will be valid for 5 years and as in the Basic Scaffold Inspection course, delegates will be expected to take a refresher course prior to the expiry of their card to ensure it can be renewed and that they remain up to date with latest guidance and standards of best practice. Each course is held over 2 consecutive days and includes a minimum of 12 hours of tuition, practical exercises and examinations. Only on completion of the course and a successful pass on the examination will delegates be able to apply for the industry recognised inspection card(s).

For full details on the content of the courses and to find your nearest CISRS training centre please visit www.cisrs.org.uk or call the CISRS hotline on 0844 815 7223.

More articles from The National Access And Scaffolding Confederation (NASC):