Migrant UK construction workers may face the prospect of English only tests as the board of the UK’s Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) are looking at plans for migrant workersto  complete Health and Safety tests in English.

Currently construction workers who apply for CSCS cards in the UK can take a test in the language of their choice, but their chosen language is not noted on the card.

The CSCS board is concerned that migrant workers with the card might not be able to understand instructions or read Health and Safety notices and is currently taking legal advice on whether an English-only test would infringe discrimination law.

The UK Construction Confederation has responded to the move by saying that it would want to see proof that poor English was a danger to Health and Safety before it backed the plan.