A PETITION calling for a construction safety certification scheme to be overhauled, which was set up by a carpenter from Magor, has reached the end of the road.

Earlier this year Paul Fear launched the petition calling on the Welsh Government to stop using building firms which require temporary workers to be registered with the Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS) for public projects.

Mr Fear, who has worked as a carpenter for 37 years, has said, as the card proving registration with the scheme costs £30 and can only be issued once the applicant has carried out a separate health and safety test costing £19.50, construction workers are £50 out of pocket before they can even start work.

His petition, which attracted 66 signatures, went before the Welsh Assembly’s Petitions Committee on Tuesday, where it was closed down with no further action.

Speaking at the meeting, committee chairman and South Wales East AM David Rowlands said finance secretary Mark Drakeford had made it clear rules around the certification would not be changed.

“We have a certain sympathy with the petitioner,” he said. “Should obtaining this CSCS card cost as much as it does? It’s quite a prohibitive cost if you’re having to pay for it yourself.”

But Swansea East AM Mike Hedges said he believed the certification was necessary.

“It is important that people working on sites are safe,” he said. "Without it there’s no reason I can’t wander onto a site, claim I’m an electrician and be let lose attaching electrics.

“This would cause me and probably everyone else in the world some concern.”

And, saying “the thought of Mike Hedges turning up to do a job of work as a spark is frightening”, Anglesey AM Rhun ap Iorweth said a response from trade union Unite showed they were in favour of the scheme.

But Mr Fear said he was disappointed the petition had been closed, saying he believed the points he made “were not fully explored”.

“So now by using certification cards people’s right to work can be removed without legislation,” he said.

In a letter to Mr Rowlands, CSCS chief executive Graham Wren said: “We understand the cost of training to obtain a qualification can be an issue for many within the industry.

“Equally it should be appreciated that there is an inevitable cost related to properly trained and qualified workers.”

But, he added many construction workers are able to claim back training and qualifications costs from their employers

“If the petitioner is concerned that construction employment agencies are not providing sufficient training for their workforce, then we would advise that he take it up with them as the funding is already available,” he said.

Although being registered with the scheme, which recognises workers have safety training, is not a legal requirement, many building firms will only take on temporary workers who are registered.

And a construction-specific card is being withdrawn, meaning anyone working in the industry, regardless of experience or qualifications, will need to obtain an NVQ level two, which can cost as much as £1,500, to obtain a new CSCS card.