BSRIA has expressed concern at the revelation that construction safety exams have been rigged.

The flagship scheme for certifying builders has been called into question after it was discovered that a string of test centres were caught fixing health and safety exams. Construction Skills Certification Scheme cards, launched by the industry in 1995, are seen as an industry benchmark.

Construction workers across the UK are required to hold a CSCS card to prove skills and a grasp of health and safety. A joint BBC London/Newsnight investigation revealed widespread, organised cheating, allowing untrained builders on to dangerous sites.

Nine of the UK's 10 biggest construction companies demand them, as do Crossrail and Heathrow. But numerous test centres are offering guaranteed passes for cash, enabling workers lacking English to obtain qualifications.

BSRIA chief executive, Julia Evans, said: “Construction is the UK's most dangerous employment sector and in the past five years alone, 221 workers have died. As an industry, we've set our stall on the CSCS card being the minimum benchmark to accept workers on to our sites. This scheme has to be trusted. BSRIA’s members demand best practice for the industry where its workforce must be safe. This exposure is clearly unacceptable.”