Electrotechnical Certification Scheme Health and Safety Assessment

As part of the Industry's drive to raise the level of Health & Safety awareness in response to the Government and the Health & Safety Executive initiatives, the ECS is introducing a Health and Safety Assessment as a requirement for holding an ECS card. This forms part of the Affiliation Agreement with CSCS. The test became mandatory from February 2003.

The Assessment is a requirement for all members of the ECS. This web page sets out the requirements for operatives working under the JIB National Agreement for JIB member firms.

Who needs to pass the Assessment?

Successful completion of the Assessment became mandatory for anyone applying either for a new card or to renew an existing card from 1st February 2003.

The Assessment applies to all card applications at all levels, whether they are for skilled cards, management cards or regular visitors' cards.

What is the format of the Assessment?

It is a simple multiple choice Assessment that will normally be taken on a computer. It is extremely simple to execute and does not demand any prior computer knowledge. Candidates will be briefed by an Invigilator on how to complete the Assessment and will also undertake a short practice Assessment first to ensure that they are able to undertake the Assessment.

The Computer Assessment is self marking and on completion the system will inform candidates whether they have passed or failed. It will also allow candidates to see which questions they had failed to answer correctly.

The Assessment covers a range of general site health and safety topics, with questions for individual Assessments being selected from a large databank of questions. Each Assessment is unique, the questions being randomly generated from the software installed on the PC.

To facilitate the introduction of the Assessment, a paper-based version generated from the computer system, is also available in certain circumstances.

Where can the Assessment be taken?

Initially Assessment facilities will be provided across England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the ECA and Unite (Amicus section). Full details of the schedules are available by contacting the following:

ECS Assessment Processing, Joint Industry Board, Kingswood House, 47/51 Sidcup Hill, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 6HP. Tel: 020 8302 0031 Fax: 020 8309 1103 E-Mail: ecs-assess@jib.org.uk

For bookings in South East London and Kent or block bookings by special arrangement and any queries concerning the Health and Safety Assessment and the ECS please contact the above.

ECS Assessment Booking Centre, Education and Training, Electrical Contractors' Association, Camden House, Dudley Court, Dudley Road, Yarm Road Industrial Estate, Darlington Co.Durham, DL1 4GG. Tel: 01325 487 829 Fax: 01325 482 196

The above address is only available for making Assessment bookings across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In addition, JIB member firms can apply the JIB to become Licensed Centres to provide the assessment for their own staff. Licensed Centres will have to meet set criteria for the facilities available and have at least one invigilator attend a workshop arranged by the JIB to familiarise them with the operation of the computer based Assessment. Full details of obtaining the license can be obtained from:

ECS Assessment Processing, Joint Industry Board, Kingswood House, 47/51 Sidcup Hill, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 6HP.

Tel: 020 8302 0031

e-mail: ecs-assess@jib.org.uk

What preparation is available?

When applicants for either the computer or paper-based Assessments are booked into a Licensed Centre they will be issued with a copy of the complete database of questions that is used to generate individual Assessments. This booklet also contains the answers to all questions, together with short commentaries, to encourage its use as a learning aid.

The booklet containing the question database can be downloaded by using the ECS menu or by visiting the Publications page. This will allow applicants to prepare themselves before they are booked into a Licensed Centre.

Exemptions from the Assessment

Applicants able to show that they have certain certificates are exempted from taking the ECS Assessment for three years from the required Assessment date. The current list of qualifications is:

Certificates obtained during a five year period to the required assessment date

• NVQ Level 3
• NEBOSH Health and Safety Diploma Part 1
• NEBOSH Certificate
• Woodland Grange Diploma in HS Management (leading to MSc)

Certificates obtained during a two year period prior to the assessment date

• Unite (Amicus section)/ECA Working Safely Together in the Electrotechnical Industry (JIB preferred course)
• SELECT Safe Working in the Electrotechnical Industry (SJIB preferred course)
• Woodland Grange Diploma in HS Management (leading to Tech SP)
• Any IOSH accredited courses below from JIB acknowledged providers (providers must obtain written acknowledgement from JIB that its course is deemed suitable for JIB purposes

i) Working Safely Together
ii) Working Safely
iii) Managing Safely
iv) Managing Safely in Construction

• IOSH - SPA Passport Core Day
• CCNSG Safety Passport
• British Safety Council Level 3 Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health
• British Safety Council Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health
• Constructionskills (CITB) Site management Safety Training Scheme Certificate

This list may be updated over time and queries over other nationally recognised qualifications should be addressed to the JIB.

The cost of the Assessment

The Assessment will be provided by the ECA and Unite (Amicus section) at a maximum cost of £35.00 per Assessment.

Centres licensed by the JIB will be able to obtain the assessment for £10.00 per Assessment, which will include the cost of processing the completed Assessment and the issuing of a certificate.

JIB Operatives taking the Assessment

The Assessment will be provided by the employer, at no cost to the operative, to all Operatives working under the JIB National Agreement for JIB Member Firms within the following periods:

Operatives who hold a current ECS Card - within six months of the renewal date

newly engaged Operatives without a current ECS Card - as soon as reasonably practical after engagement.

If the Operative fails the Assessment, the employer is required to provide the necessary remedial training to allow the Operative to retake the Assessment. Operatives will be entitled to be paid for the time to take the course and to travel to and from the centre, plus actual fares.

An Operative is entitled to three attempts, plus two sets of remedial training, to achieve success in the Assessment. After failure in a second Assessment, the employer is entitled to give the Operative a warning stating that a further failure could affect the employer's ability to place the Operative on site. After a third failure, an Employer is entitled to assume that the Operative is not able to demonstrate competence at the basic level of Health and Safety required on site.