As an advanced scaffolder I am qualified to inspect any scaffolding which with 13 years experience I think is correct. The powers that be also say that if you have 6 months on-site experience, a cscs card & £350 you to can also inspect scaffolds. So let's compare this to a car mot, which person would you rather have telling you that your car is safe to transport your children in? Why don't the NASC, cisrs, close ranks & stop selling their trade down the river!!!
Scaffold MOT
- Thread starter skeeno
- Start date
Skeeno, as with everything these days there is a qualification for inspecting advanced scaffold structures. CISRS advanced scaffolding inspection ticket, you have to be an advanced scaffolders or a basic scaffolders with one years experience or have held a basic inspection card for at least 2 years. Its a two day course with a practical and written test at the end, and you can fail as when I did mine a lad on the course failed.
You get a card at the end which legitimately lets you write reports and inspect scaffolds for a living if you so choose. You're right to a certain degree in that you can inspect an advanced scaffold with an advanced card, but if it goes tits up the competency issue will be raised.
All I'm trying to say is that I think that scaffolding should be inspected by scaffolders, same as a car should be inspected by a mechanic, & not by some1 with no background in the trade but £350 spare & a couple days spare
bigfish
Moderator
By allowing anyone to complete these courses is wrong,fella's work all their lives in the industry and when their arms,backs and whatever else is knackered they should be prime candidates for these roles,not have to compete with the two day hero's who have contributed bugger all bar a few hundred quid
I do agree with what you say, but there are some bloody clever people out there like scaffold designers who have never been near a set of spanners. Are we saying they can't inspect a scaffold or fully trained HSE inspectors ? I know loads of scaffolders who know exactly what they are doing, and they do it well and safely day after day. However if you asked them the formula for a cantilever drop or the maximum length of a raker they wouldn't know. And there lies the problem. I personally think you're never to old to learn and if scaffolding Is your chosen career why not go and have refresher courses every so often. If you're a pilot you have to take a refresher every year, after 65 lorry drivers have to have a medical, why not scaffolders. I do agree though that two day wonder safety officers shouldn't be able to inspect scaffolds and if you read the HSE guidance about scaffold inspections it says something along the lines of "Only people with that level of competence for the scaffold they are inspecting can inspect it" that rules most people out straight away.
That's not ideal.....
I agree Fred, we all know that the ticket means qualified but you still need experience to be considered competent.