ECS Card Scheme
We are delighted to announce that ISCVE has been approved by the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) to assess and issue ECS approval for Sound Engineers and has also been accredited as an ECS Health & Safety assessment centre.
This agreement allows ISCVE to issue and renew ISCVE Sound Engineer ECS cards to existing and newly accredited members.
Affiliated to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), an ISCVE Sound Engineer ECS card will allow Sound Engineers to prove their identity, qualified status and occupation when working in venues and on-site.
The ECS card is fully compliant with all of the requirements of the CSCS scheme, including the centralised database and is designed to prevent accidents and promote safety and quality of work. It is often a requirement for maintenance engineers at venues and on building sites for all site workers to hold an appropriate ECS card and is compulsory for those working around electricity.
ISCVE is extremely pleased to be recognised by the Joint Industry Board for this accreditation. ISCVE members are already regularly working in venues and on building sites installing sound equipment. This development allows ISCVE members to apply for an ISCVE Sound Engineer ECS card, prior to working on site.
Why should you have an ECS card?
Over 99,000 electrical professionals are proud to hold an ECS card to show their hard-earned credentials at work and on site.
The ISCVE Sound Engineer ECS card displays your qualifications as an ISCVE Sound Engineer and your grade of membership and proves that you have been H&S assessed and are competent in health and safety.
Without an ECS card it is increasingly difficult to get employment at venues and on building sites because many UK employers specify that holding an appropriate ECS card is compulsory for those working around electricity on their sites.
You may already have an alternative qualification or CSC card, but if not the ISCVE Sound Engineer ECS card incorporates an H&S assessment as part of the application process. This assessment meets the requirements on employers or site owners for all workers to hold an up-to-date Health & Safety qualification.
Members with a current ECS card should consider holding an ISCVE Sound Engineer ECS card upon expiry to raise awareness of our industry which is of course beneficial to everyone.
Please note, ISCVE Sound Engineer ECS cards will be withdrawn upon lapsed ISCVE membership, even if the card is still valid.
All applications are cross-referenced with the National Insurance database for authenticity. Furthermore, large sites will refer to this database to check card validity too.
How to get your ECS Card.
If you are already a member of the ISCVE you can start your application for an ECS Card by clicking the button below and we will guide you through the simple process.
If you are not currently a member of the ISCVE then you need to become a member before you can take advantage of the ECS Card Scheme. Find your membership level by clicking the button below.
How much does an ISCVE ECS Card Cost?
Application Fees
Initial Card £40 plus VAT
Renewal/Replacement
£30 plus VAT
ECS Health & Safety Assessment
£40 plus VAT
Assessment Dates
Dates and booking details for our ISCVE ECS Card Health & Safety Assessments are shown here.
ECS Card Scheme FAQ's
How long is the card valid for?
An ISCVE Sound Engineer or AV Engineer ECS Card is valid for 3 Years.
When an ECS card has less than 3 months to run it can be renewed. The holder will need to sit a HS&E assessment in order to obtain a new card.
ISCVE Sound Engineer or AV Engineer ECS cards will be withdrawn and therefore struck off the national database upon lapse of ISCVE membership. Withdrawn, invalid cards must be returned to the ISCVE upon receipt of formal termination of membership, to be destroyed as per the members declaration upon joining.
What if I lose or damage my card?
If an ISCVE ECS card is lost or damaged it can be re-issued using our replacement service. An exact copy of the last card issued will be provided on application and payment of the replacement card fee. The application for a replacement card is available up to three months before the original ECS card is due to expire. If there is less than three months left on the card an application to renew the ECS card will need to be made in the normal way.
Can I use my existing Health, Safety & Environmental certificate as an exemption?
You may already hold a Health and Safety certificate from another organisation, but the agreement between the JIB and the ISCVE is that ALL applications made electronically via ISCVE, must have a valid ECS Health, Safety and Environmental certificate in order to obtain an ISCVE Sound Engineer ECS or AV Engineer ECS card.
An ECS HS&E certificate is valid for two years.
If a person is working in the electrotechnical industry and would like to use an H&S exemption that is recognised for an application for an ECS craft card, they can apply directly to the JIB for a card and present their exemption as part of that application.
Can I book my ECS HS&E Assessment at alternative testing centres?
The ECS HS&E assessment is available directly from the JIB and several other organisations.
The JIB – To book an assessment through the JIB please call the bookings team on 01322 661 633.
The ECA – To book an assessment please call the ECA Administration team on 01582 531 047 or visit their website
Unite – To book an assessment with Unite please visit their website
ISCVE also runs its own own public HS&E Assessments from time to time and details are listed on the www.myiscve.org.uk events portal. For a large number of delegates from the same company, ISCVE will consider running in-house assessments for you.
If I have an ISCVE Sound Engineer ECS Card, can I work on site in another capacity I.e. non-sound engineer role, or will I require a separate ECS card?
This is usually decided by the site owner / operator granting access. In most cases this should not be an issue if it is a related discipline.
Some site operators will only grant permission for you to work on the discipline which your ECS card states. As an example a general labourer would not normally be allowed to carry out electrical works without an ECS card for electrical or related tasks.
If I already have a CSCS card, at renewal can I automatically apply for an ISCVE ECS Card?
Having a CSCS card, does not allow automatic renewal for an ECS card. The two schemes run separately.
CSCS are withdrawing the Construction Related Occupation (CRO) cards, so anyone who has a CRO card will need to apply for an ECS card.
