ECS Card Forgery Crack-Down

A recent case question involved an individual who doctored his Labourer card, in an attempt to pass himself off as an Installation Electrician.

An Installation Electrician ‘gold’ card can only be legitimately gained with recognised qualifications to NVQ/SVQ Level 3 level or equivalent. Attempting to work on site as an installation electrician without the required skills or competence can put people at serious risk of injury or death and the person in question can be liable for prosecution by the Health & Safety Executive.

Anyone caught amending their ECS card will have their original card cancelled with immediate effect, and the JIB will not accept any application for further cards from the card holder for six years.

In addition, fraud by false representation is a criminal offence under the Fraud Act 2006, as is possessing an article for use or in connection with fraud. Both are punishable by imprisonment.

The JIB has also noticed an increase in applicants trying to present doctored qualification certificates in ECS card applications.

“The ECS Compliance Unit works with CSCS fraud investigators and awarding bodies to combat cases of card forgeries and fake certificates, said David Thomas, ECS Strategic Development Manager. “We’ve noticed a recent rise in the problem and this is something that will not be accepted. We hope that genuine cardholders, as well as those in charge of sites, will keep us informed of instances where people are in breach of the rules. There are severe penalties for those caught.”

Please help us to stamp out such forgeries by being vigilant in checking that people hold genuine cards. Anyone with evidence should please report the details to: [email protected]