Do I Need to Have SMSTS to Take the SMSTS Refresher?
The short answer is yes. You need to hold a valid, in-date SMSTS certificate to be eligible for the SMSTS Refresher. CITB requires candidates to complete the Refresher before their current certificate expires. If your initial qualification has already lapsed, you’ll need to take the full five-day SMSTS course again.
Understanding the Eligibility Criteria for the SMSTS Refresher
Your SMSTS certificate is valid for five years. The Refresher must be completed before the expiry date. CITB doesn’t offer any sort of grace period, and even a one-day lapse means you’ll need to return to the full course. This eligibility framework ensures that site managers maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, leadership responsibilities, and best-practice safety controls.
For experienced site managers already holding their certification, the Refresher is designed to reassess competence, and reinforce the core principles of construction safety leadership. It acts as a mandatory continuation of professional development, rather than a standalone qualification.
What the Training Covers: Key Learning Outcomes
The Refresher builds directly on the content of the original course. Because of this, CITB only allows previously qualified candidates to attend.
The curriculum revisits high-risk activities, leadership duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, recent legislative updates, and changes to HSE guidance. Without the baseline knowledge from the full SMSTS, delegates would not have the context required to actively participate in case studies, or apply management frameworks to real-world scenarios.
That’s why the Refresher training assumes prior competence. It’s not a course for new managers, nor is it designed to introduce foundational safety concepts. Its objective is to validate and update existing knowledge, so that certificate holders remain compliant.
Why You Need to Already Hold SMSTS to Take the SMSTS Refresher
CITB mandates the eligibility requirement to ensure that all holders have completed the complete five-day training at least once. That training includes detailed legal frameworks, behavioural safety principles, risk-management models, communication techniques, and leadership responsibilities- none of which are re-taught from scratch during the Refresher.
Maintaining Compliance and Avoiding Common Pitfalls with SMSTS Refresher
One of the most common issues candidates encounter is waiting too long to book their Refresher. With high demand across the UK construction sector, courses often fill quickly. If you leave renewal until the last few weeks of your certificate’s validity, you risk missing the deadline and being forced to retake the full five-day programme. Proactive scheduling is therefore essential for maintaining uninterrupted compliance.
Additionally, employers increasingly require an up-to-date certificate as a condition of supervising or managing work on site. Allowing your certificate to lapse can have operational consequences, particularly for those working on principal contractor duties or overseeing subcontractor operations.
Conclusion: Do I Need to Have SMSTS to Take the SMSTS Refresher?
Yes. Holding an in-date certificate is mandatory. CITB requires delegates to renew before expiry, and any lapse means you must complete the full SMSTS course again.
If you want to maintain compliance and avoid the extra time and cost associated with retraining, scheduling your Refresher well before your certificate expires is the most effective way to stay current and fully qualified.
If you still have any questions regarding the course, then do not hesitate to get in touch.
Phone – 020 3488 4472
