A new law came into effect 1 September, marks a pivotal shift in how organisations must address and prevent fraud.
The UK’s Failure to Prevent Fraud law requires all large organisations to put fraud prevention procedures in place in advance of any issues occurring. Large organisations without reasonable prevention measures will now be held criminally liable if staff commit fraud for company benefit.
In the construction sector, this means that companies must ensure that all workers have the correct skills and qualifications to be on a site and are not working fraudulently, for example by using a faked CSCS card.
The law defines a large organisation as one that meets two of the following criteria: more than 250 employees; more than £36 million turnover; or more than £18 million in total assets.
Sean Kearns, CEO of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme, said: “Card and skills fraud remain a serious concern for the construction industry. Individuals lacking proper training present not only a legal risk, but also pose a threat to the safety of sites and buildings.
“It is CSCS’ firm belief that to ensure UK construction sites remain safe, workers must have legitimate training and qualifications before allowed to work on site. Following the implementation of this law today, verifying worker skills and qualifications is no longer optional, but essential.
“We urge all employers, contractors, and site managers to implement rigorous card fraud prevention measures and use CSCS Smart Check to verify cards and safeguard their businesses.”
