Home Builders Visitor Card reaches 500 milestone as applicants urged to avoid August deadline rush
The Home Builders Visitor Card has achieved a significant milestone – with more than 500 applications made since its launch.
The new visitor card was developed by the Home Building Skills Partnership (HBSP) and the home building industry for use by non-trade employees who regularly visit construction sites. It replaces the construction site visitor card which CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) stopped issuing in February this year.
With thousands of CSCS visitor cards used by the home building industry set to expire by the end of August this year, HBSP is advising would-be applicants to apply now and avoid the August rush for renewals.
In a unique move by the industry, the Home Builders Visitor Card is also available digitally. The virtual card is stored within the Vicarda app which can be downloaded on an applicant’s smartphone. This will also allow it to be easily and quickly checked by the site manager using the Go Smart App. The virtual card is proving a huge success with two out of three applicants opting for the digital visitor card.
John Slaughter, Director of External Affairs at the Home Builders Federation, said: “Since its launch last December the new visitor card has grown in popularity. What is particularly pleasing is to see the increasing numbers of employees opting for the virtual card option. This is testament to how innovative the home building industry and its workforce can be in embracing digital solutions.
“I would urge all those who need to renew their visitor cards to do so now, and avoid the huge rush expected in August.”
The Home Builders Visitor Card holds details of the CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test passes achieved by employees. Applicants must have passed the HS&E test online within two years from the date of their application. And as with the former CSCS card, the new Home Builders Visitor Cards will be valid for five years.
Further details about the Home Builders Visitor Card are available at https://www.homebuildskillscard.co.uk/ This includes a dedicated page of Q&A about the card and how to book an HS&E test.
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For media enquiries, or to arrange an interview, please contact Claire Coward on 020 7960 1614 or 077 3268 2114. claire.coward@hbf.co.uk
Notes to editors
- The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the representative body of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s member firms account for some 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk