How Many CITB Courses Are There?
If you’re already working in the construction industry, you’ll probably be familiar with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). They set the standard for safety and competence in construction. But how many CITB courses actually are there?
At CST Training, we offer the SMSTS, the SMSTS Refresher, the SSSTS, the SSSTS Refresher, Temporary Works Supervisor, Temporary Works Coordinator, the Temporary Works Coordinator Refresher, the HSA, and SEATS. In today’s blog, we’ll be breaking down the basics of every single one of these courses, to help you decide which one is right for you and your career.
Understanding the Range of CITB Courses
The courses developed by the Construction Industry Training Board are designed to provide construction workers with an understanding of health and safety, welfare, and environmental issues. Ultimately, they ensure that everyone working in the industry has the required level of competence to contribute to a safe working environment on-site.
What the SMSTS Course Covers and Who It’s For
One of the most prestigious courses is the Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS). It’s essentially the flagship health and safety training course for site managers, and it’s fairly rigorous, lasting a total of five days.
Primarily it’s designed for site managers, projects managers, contract managers, and any senior personnel who are in charge of planning, organising, monitoring, and administering health and safety on construction sites.
CITB Courses: How the SMSTS Refresher Course Keeps You Up to Date
The SMSTS certificate is valid for five years. To maintain the crucial qualification, managers need to take the SMSTS Refresher course before the certificate expires. This is a shorter, two-day programme designed to keep their knowledge current.
The Refresher ensures that managers are fully aware of any new or impending legislative changes, and new industry best practices that might have emerged since they initially qualified.
The Purpose and Benefits of the SSSTS Course
The Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) is a foundational leadership course. It’s a two-day programme, and is aimed at those taking their first steps into a supervisory role.
Some of the benefits of the course include:
- Competence Validation: Formally certifies the ability to manage a team safely.
- Compliance: Ensures supervisors comply with their duties under health and safety law.
- Career Pathway: It’s the essential stepping stone between the general operative and the site manager (SMSTS).
CITB Courses: When and Why to Take the SSSTS Refresher Course
Just like the SMSTS, the SSSTS certificate is only valid for five years. Supervisors must take the one-day SSSTS Refresher course within the final year of the certificate’s validity.
Without the Refresher, the certificate lapses, meaning the professional would need to retake the full two-day course. This is both more time-consuming, and more costly.
The course updates supervisors on new legislation, improved techniques for delivering toolbox talks, and changes in site enforcement procedures, ensuring their skills remain current and effective.
Introducing the Temporary Works Coordinator Course
Temporary works (such as formwork, scaffolding, and trench supports) are among the highest-risk activities on any site. The Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) course is designed to provide the formal procedural knowledge needed to oversee the planning, design, and execution of all temporary works on a site.
On a construction site, the TWC is the central point of contact, ensuring that every temporary structure is safe, compliant, and properly dismantled. This qualification is crucial for safety.
CITB Courses: Essential Skills Taught in the Temporary Works Supervisor Course
The Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS) course is a one-day programme designed to work in tandem with the TWC. The TWS acts as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the TWC on the ground.
Some of the skills it’ll help you develop include:
- Procedural Compliance: Understanding the TWC’s instructions and ensuring they are carried out correctly.
- Inspection and Verification: Learning how to check that temporary structures are erected strictly according to the approved design.
- Reporting: Promptly identifying and reporting any deviations, defects, or unsafe practices to the TWC.
- Toolbox Talks: Assisting the TWC in delivering safety-critical briefings to the installation teams.
The TWS qualification is vital for ensuring compliance at the operational level, directly supporting the TWC’s strategic oversight.
Staying Current with the Temporary Works Coordinator Refresher
The Temporary Works Coordinator Refresher is a one-day course that focuses on updating the procedural framework (BS 5975) and reviewing any recent changes in industry best practice concerning high-risk temporary structures. Given the safety-critical nature of this role, maintaining currency is paramount. Failure to renew means the individual can no longer legally sign off or manage temporary works, which is a major compliance risk for the employer.
CITB Courses: What the Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) Course Involves
The Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) course is the entry-level qualification in the Site Safety Plus scheme. It’s a one-day training programme designed for all site operatives, not just managers or supervisors.
The course provides an essential introduction to health and safety issues, teaching workers how to identify common hazards, understand their individual responsibilities, use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and understand the importance of welfare facilities and accident reporting. It’s a basic, foundational course that ensures all site workers have a minimum level of safety awareness before stepping onto a job site.
How to Get Your CITB Green Card Through the HSA Course
The HSA course is the most direct pathway to obtaining the CSCS Green Labourer Card. Successfully completing the HSA course is necessary to satisfy the knowledge requirement for the Green Card application. Once a worker passes the HSA course, they must then pass the CITB Health, Safety & Environment (HS&E) Test before they can apply to the CSCS for the card. The Green Card is mandatory for all labourers who want to work on a UK construction site. This makes the HSA the first vital step for entry-level workers.
CITB Courses: Understanding the SEATS Course and Its Focus on Sustainability
The Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme (SEATS) is a specialised one-day course designed to address the growing importance of environmental protection on construction sites.
The course moves beyond traditional safety and welfare, focusing instead on a professional’s responsibility regarding environmental compliance. Key areas include managing waste, pollution prevention (e.g., water runoff, dust control), noise and vibration control, and understanding site-specific environmental plans. It’s crucial for ensuring construction projects minimise their ecological footprint, and adhere to strict environmental legislation.
Who Should Take the SEATS Course and Why It Matters
The SEATS course is aimed at supervisors, managers, and anyone with responsibility for environmental aspects of a construction project. This includes foremen, contracts managers, and environmental advisors.
Environmental breaches- such as pollution incidents or unauthorized waste disposal- can result in enormous fines and severe reputational damage to a company. SEATS training ensures that supervisors have the practical knowledge to prevent these incidents, promoting a proactive and sustainable approach to construction management. It’s a necessary qualification for any project where environmental impact is a key concern.
Comparing All CITB Courses: Which One Do You Need?
The choice of CITB course depends entirely on your role and level of responsibility:
- HSA: If you’re a site operative or labourer (entry-level).
- SSSTS: If you’re a foreman, team leader, or supervisor.
- SMSTS: If you’re a site manager, contracts manager, or project manager (senior management).
- TWC/TWS: If you’re specifically managing or overseeing temporary structures (specialist role).
- SEATS: If you’re responsible for environmental compliance (specialist knowledge).
Choosing Between the Supervisor and Manager Courses
The choice between the SSSTS (Supervisor) and the SMSTS (Manager) is determined by your level of authority and responsibility on site. If your primary role is directing small teams, monitoring work, and delivering instructions, the SSSTS is most appropriate. If your role involves strategic planning, budget responsibility, legal oversight, and making high-level decisions affecting the entire site, the SMSTS is the course you should be taking.
Renewal Rules for CITB Courses
To renew any SSSTS, SMSTS, or TWC qualification, you must successfully complete the relevant refresher course before the expiry date printed on your certificate. There is no grace period. If your certificate expires, you are required by the CITB to retake the full course; two days for SSSTS and TWC, and five days for SMSTS. This strict renewal policy exists to ensure that all individuals in safety-critical management roles have the most current legislative and best-practice knowledge.
How to Book and Prepare for a CITB Training Course
Booking a course must be done through a CITB-approved training organisation, such as CST Training.
Review any pre-course materials provided by the training centre.
- Legal Familiarity: Familiarise yourself with key construction legislation, particularly the CDM Regulations 2015.
- Proactive Attitude: Be prepared to engage in discussions and case studies, as these courses are highly interactive.
Successful completion depends on active participation and a commitment to understanding the practical application of the course content.
Conclusion: How Many CITB Courses Are There?
Every Construction Industry Training Board course is designed to ensure that individuals on UK construction sites, from entry-level operatives to senior managers, have the verified competence required to maintain the highest standards of safety and welfare. We offer a comprehensive range at CST Training.
If you still have any questions regarding the courses, then do not hesitate to get in touch.
Phone – 020 3488 4472
