Water jetters warned of end of CSCS grandfather rights

Water jetting operatives are being warned the Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS) will cease renewing industry accreditation cards in 2024.

CSCS cards are needed to work on many construction sites across the UK. Before 2015, water jetting operatives who achieved Water Jetting Association certification automatically qualified for a blue CSCS card.

However, the rules were changed in 2015, removing the automatic right to CSCS cards through industry accreditation and certification schemes, like the one operated by the WJA.

Operatives who held blue CSCS cards were permitted to keep them for 10 years – a process referred to as grandfather rights – to give them time to obtain a separate CSCS qualification.

That period of grace comes to an end on 30th June 2024. In addition, CSCS cards linked with industry accreditations issued from 1st January 2020 will expire on 31st December 2024, and will not be renewed.

WJA Level 2 qualification

However, water jetting operatives who achieve the WJA Level 2 Water Jetting Technician qualification, which is accredited by ABBE, will still automatically qualify for a CSCS card.

WJA Ruling Council Member and Audit Lead Jeff Haigh said: “CSCS is overseen by the CITB, the industry training board for the construction sector. It has advised the WJA that there are around 20 water jetting operatives who currently still have CSCS grandfather rights.

“It is these personnel who will lose these rights in 2024 and who must, if they need CSCS accreditation to work on construction sites, obtain a new CSCS card before their blue cards expire.

“We would encourage WJA contractor members to check their records to ensure their operatives’ accreditations are up to date, to prevent any.

problems gaining site access for their work teams when this grandfather rights scheme comes to an end.”