Health & Safety Tests Smash 1 Million Barrier
CITB-ConstructionSkills has today announced that Darren Hoft is the millionth candidate to pass its Health and Safety Test. Hoft, a Carpenter from London, took the Test through CITB-ConstructionSkills’ new SkillsDirect service. The Test pass marks a milestone in the industry drive to qualify the workforce, which has contributed to a 50% reduction in serious injuries since the introduction of the Test in 2000.
In the six years since its launch, the Test has continually evolved to make it as accessible and convenient as possible for the highly mobile construction workforce. It is now available at 151 locations nationwide, or on-site using the fleet of mobile testing units, and can be sat in all major foreign languages, meaning there is no excuse not to be safe on site. The Test also forms part of the new SkillsDirect service which makes getting qualified and carded simpler and faster by integrating all the key elements into one hassle-free service, accessed through a central hotline 0870 850 5262.
The occasion was marked by a presentation ceremony at Southwark Health and Safety Test Centre – run by Thomson Prometric. The millionth candidate was presented with £200 of Wickes vouchers. Darren was the millionth person to pass the test and will shortly be receiving his Experienced Worker card that will provide him with access to site for twelve months while he completes an NVQ qualification, to obtain his full card.
Darren, 25, currently works for Grant Construction based in London, he decided to take the Test ahead of the rush:
“Loads of people will want to take to the Test soon because of the new rules about having proof of qualifications so I wanted to get mine before it got too busy! I got the book and revised so I found the Test pretty straightforward and the SkillsDirect service was as helpful as it was simple. An advisor arranged the test close to my work so I didn’t have to travel far. I’m glad I’ve got the training under my belt – the next site I’m going to work on only lets qualified workers on-site so it has come in handy already!”
Mark Bodger, Acting Head of Certification and Registration at CITB-ConstructionSkills said of the milestone:
“Reaching the millionth Test pass is evidence of the effort that the whole industry is making to improve health and safety. It is a great achievement, and this milestone is proof that we’re making excellent progress. Despite this success, however, there’s no room for complacency – any death or injury on site is one too many. With organisations such as the MCG enforcing full compliance on-site, and systems such as SkillsDirect available to help people demonstrate their ability to work safely and prove their qualifications, there’s no excuse to not sit the Test and prove your skills.”
To book a Health and Safety Test, or to find out information on getting qualified and carded, call SkillsDirect on 0870 850 5262.
October 26th, 2006 at 8:05 am
This is one of the most important qualifications you will possess for anyone who works in a construction environment. It very important to be safe at work, this is not just for you own safety but your work colleagues as well.