The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is adding NFC chips to its ACE cards to speed up security checks on construction sites.
All new and renewal ACE (Assuring Competence in Engineering) cards issued from 20 July 2026 will carry an embedded NFC (Near Field Communication) chip, scannable via the CSCS Smart Check App, making it significantly quicker for employers and clients to check workers’ credentials at site entrances.
An ACE card is automatically issued to individuals holding both an ECITB vocational qualification and a current CCNSG safety passport. It is one of 37 CSCS Alliance card schemes that meet Construction Leadership Council recommendations.
Chris Mann, director of learning and assurance at the ECITB, said: “Engineering construction covers the construction, repair, maintenance and decommissioning of process plant and machinery spanning the energy, infrastructure and major process industries including oil and gas, power generation, nuclear, renewables, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing and water treatment.
“These are high-risk sites. We must ensure the workers on them are qualified and safe to be there.
“As each card is valid for three years there will be a period – until July 2029 – where both the new-design card and the existing ACE cards are in circulation. These older cards do still have a QR code on the back for employers and clients to check the authenticity of cardholders, but the new cards will make the process much quicker and more secure.
“The chip does not store any biometric data but carries the identity, qualifications and safety training of the cardholder. It allows the site manager to verify the card is valid, belongs to the person in front of them and that they are suitably qualified and have the correct level of health and safety for their job.
“The new-look card is just one element of the planned programme of improvements we will be making to the card scheme.
“From September the number of vocational qualifications recognised within the scheme will be broadened to include qualifications from awarding bodies other than the ECITB. CSCS Ltd will manage the issuing of cards from this point, supplying cardholders also with a digital version of their card and introducing an online application process for applying for new cards.”
CSCS Alliance schemes operate with nationally recognised qualifications in place for all occupations, providing assurance that over two million UK construction workers are trained and qualified for the job they do on site.
ACE allows individuals to move between civil and engineering construction sites using a single card that validates their credentials. CSCS Smart Check can be used, free of charge, as an app or via the website to validate all CSCS Alliance cards, and is already used within existing site access and induction systems by the industry’s largest contractors.
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