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Competancy? Out on your own. No. Not legally. Employers, Construction sites and the Council may require CSCS and CPCS for a digger.
Probably English Nature or whatever they're called now, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission as an employer would require some Certs up front to prove competancy, certainly for spraying. If you are a self employed contractor don't think it really matters, it's really between you and your own liabilty insurance. My wife's daughter is temporarily driving massive Fendt's with massive tipper trailers down at Southampton docks unloading or loading grain all night for 12 hours and she hasn't got anything at all other than a tractor and then a car licence, she's only 19.
The main reason for competancy come down to insurances, H&S and negligence payouts which is taken by the main contractor.
If you are on your own, it's up to the satisfyling the terms of your liability insurance to make sure you are covered or getting the necessary certs required if you are subbing. No way, at my age I'm going back to Writtle or Sparsholt again with the 15 year olds or paying out £3k for a 10 tonne digger CPCS. lol
What are you planning on doing that requires certificates, sub contracting? Being sub contracted, on someone else's site or employed, you may well need stuff, but I should think on your own, as a sole trader it will be between you and your liability policy.
Basically think of yourself as the main contractor or employer. Would you want competancy and Health and Safety training of everyone on site to negate your liabilities?
I don't know why, but that army fella who stole that Abrams tank and hurtled up the highway on a rampage is in my head for some reason.
Hi
There is a difference between being legal, and being safe, lets assume you decide to use a mini digger to install a driveway, and you cut through
a service duct, phone, power or TV, while you may have insurance but will it pay out if you can not show that you checked out the site with a CAT
for cables, that you were competant to use the digger, then if you have an accident, just because you are self employed does not mean HSE will not
take action and face a large fine, should you decide to employee someone or just have a mate help you out a few days a week, things change,
used to know a couple of brothers that worked for years without a days training or any real accidents, then one day a lad lost a few toes to a lawn
mower, HSE gave them a choice close the business and retire or go to court.
The reality is everything's ok until it goes wrong. As others have said above you need to have a paper trail to show your competency using said equipment plus carrying out risks assessments. Will your insurance pay out if it goes wrong if you hav not got the tickets? In my view you should be trained up to use any kit even though it's obvious to use but you will learn good practice at least. All your training courses are tax deductible too.