SMSTS Course or SSSTS Course: Which Do You Need?

If you are choosing between the SMSTS course and the SSSTS course, the short answer is this: SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) is the five-day course for site managers, and SSSTS (Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme) is the two-day course for site supervisors. Both are CITB Site Safety Plus courses, and CITB says each certificate lasts five years. This guide covers Great Britain, where CITB runs the schemes and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015).

Course details below come from CITB's course pages and its scheme rules (SMSTS version 03.04, SSSTS version 01.04, SMSTS-R version 02.05 and SSSTS-R version 01.03, all dated February 2026). Course rules change, so check CITB or your training provider before you book.

SMSTS and SSSTS at a glance

CITB's scheme rules count the minimum hours as delivery plus the exam, excluding breaks. CITB does not publish a fee on these course pages, so check with the training provider you choose.

What is the SMSTS course?

According to CITB, SMSTS is for site managers and for anyone planning, organising, monitoring and controlling groups of staff on construction work. It runs for five days. The scheme rules say there is no formal entry requirement, but you should hold or be about to hold a site manager role, and some health and safety knowledge is recommended. You also need to be competent in written and spoken English.

The course is built around four modules:

• Legal and management: health and safety law, CDM 2015, risk assessment, inspections, records and accident investigation.
• Health and welfare: welfare facilities, hazardous substances, asbestos, noise, vibration and manual handling.
• General safety: site organisation, fire, electrical safety, temporary works, work equipment and lifting operations.
• High-risk activities: working at height, excavations, underground and overhead services, and confined spaces.

You complete four core exercises, get a pass or fail trainer review and sit an end-of-course exam of 25 questions lasting 35 minutes. The pass mark is 81 per cent (26 out of 32). Scoring between 72 and 78 per cent allows one re-sit.

What is the SSSTS course?

CITB describes SSSTS as a two-day course for people who have, or are about to have, supervisory responsibilities on site. Like SMSTS, it has no formal entry requirement, although you need to be competent in English at site supervisor level. It covers much of the same ground as SMSTS at supervisor level: health and safety law, CDM 2015, risk assessments and method statements, statutory inspections, leadership, workforce health and welfare, site set-up, plant and lifting operations, working at height, excavations, confined spaces and environmental awareness.

The exam has 25 questions (22 multiple choice and 3 short written answers) over 30 minutes. The pass mark is 80 per cent (24 out of 30), and four safety-critical questions must all be answered correctly. Before the exam you must pass the trainer review: a group exercise, engagement and a toolbox talk.

Which one do you need?

Choose by the job you do on site, not by which sounds more senior.

• You run the site or the project day to day (or are about to): SMSTS is the match. CITB describes it as for site managers.
• You lead a gang, trade team or work area and report to a manager: SSSTS is aimed at you.
• You are a new manager with little health and safety management experience: the SMSTS rules advise taking SSSTS first.
• You only work on site as an operative: neither is meant for you. CITB's one-day Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) course is for anyone working on a construction site.

The certificates are linked. According to CITB's scheme rules, an SMSTS certificate is accepted as the entry route for SSSTS and for the refresher courses, and also for HSA. A manager who holds SMSTS therefore does not need to take SSSTS to qualify for the supervisor refresher.

Is SMSTS or SSSTS a legal requirement?

Not by name. CDM 2015 does not mention SMSTS or SSSTS. It sets out duties, and these courses are one common way of showing you can meet them. Under regulation 15, a contractor must not engage anyone who lacks the necessary skills, knowledge, training and experience, unless that person is in the process of obtaining them, and must give workers appropriate supervision, instructions and information. Under regulation 13, the principal contractor must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase and provide a suitable site induction.

HSE's guidance for principal contractors and contractors does not name any specific qualification or certificate. In practice, though, clients and principal contractors often set SMSTS or SSSTS as a requirement for their managers and supervisors, so check your contract or site rules. For the induction side, see our health and safety induction checklist, and for a key part of both courses, our guide to working at height training and regulations in Great Britain.

Refreshers: keeping your certificate valid

CITB says both certificates are valid for five years, and that you must retake the course or do the refresher before the certificate expires. The refreshers are shorter: two days for SMSTS-R and one day for SSSTS-R.

Timing matters. The SMSTS-R scheme rules require a valid SMSTS certificate (or a previous refresher), checked either through your evidence or the CITB online card checker. If you do not attend before your certificate expires, you have to start again with the full five-day SMSTS. The SSSTS-R rules similarly say you must attend before the existing certificate expires. Diarise your expiry date well ahead and book early.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the SMSTS course?

Five days, with a minimum of 37 hours 30 minutes of delivery and examination according to CITB's scheme rules. The rules also allow other patterns, such as evening or day-release delivery over several weeks.

Can I take SMSTS without doing SSSTS first?

Yes. CITB sets no formal entry requirement for SMSTS. It does advise people with no health and safety management experience to take SSSTS first.

How long is an SMSTS or SSSTS certificate valid?

CITB states five years for SMSTS, SMSTS-R, SSSTS and SSSTS-R.

What happens if my SMSTS certificate expires?

The SMSTS-R rules require a valid certificate. If it has lapsed, you would need to take the full SMSTS again.

Does an SMSTS certificate cover me for SSSTS?

CITB's scheme rules say the SMSTS certificate is accepted for SSSTS. Ask your employer or principal contractor whether they also expect you to hold a separate SSSTS certificate.

Does the course include a risk assessment?

Risk assessment is part of the content on both courses. If you want a refresher on the basics first, read our risk assessment training and HSE five steps guide.

Next steps

Match the course to your role, confirm any requirement in your contract or site rules, and book through CITB or a provider that delivers the Site Safety Plus schemes. For wider professional development, you can browse the Learnsignal CPD hub.

This article is general information only and is not legal, health and safety or compliance advice. Course content, entry rules and validity can change, so check the current position with CITB and HSE and take advice for your own circumstances.