CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)

Accreditation:
CITB
Course Duration:
5 Days
Valid for:
5 years

  • Online Training

    £500

    07/09/2026 - 11/09/2026
    5 Day Course
    Book Now

  • Online Training

    £500

    05/10/2026 - 27/10/2026
    Day Release
    Book Now

  • Online Training

    £500

    12/10/2026 - 16/10/2026
    5 Day Course
    Book Now

To book by phone or make an enquiry call us on

0115 8970 529

The CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme, commonly known as SMSTS, is a five-day course for construction site managers and people preparing to move into site management.

It covers the management of health, safety, welfare and environmental responsibilities on construction sites. This includes relevant legislation, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, risk assessments and method statements, site organisation, occupational health, leadership and high-risk activities.

Our online SMSTS course is delivered live through Zoom by a CITB Site Safety Plus tutor. Successful delegates receive a CITB SMSTS certificate valid for five years.

The course is endorsed by Build UK as the standard health and safety training course for construction managers.

SMSTS is management-level safety training that leads to a certificate. It is not an occupational competence qualification and is not accepted by itself for a Black CSCS Manager Card.

Who should attend the SMSTS course?

SMSTS is designed for people who already have, or are preparing to take on, responsibility for planning, organising, monitoring and controlling construction work.

The course is suitable for:

  • Construction site managers
  • Assistant and aspiring site managers
  • Project and construction managers
  • Site agents
  • Contracts managers with site responsibilities
  • Experienced site supervisors moving into management
  • Managers responsible for construction teams or contractors

Delegates with limited health and safety management experience may benefit from completing the two-day CITB SSSTS course first.

What does the SMSTS course cover?

The course is divided into four principal modules.

Module 1: Legal and management

  • Health and safety law
  • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
  • Construction Design and Management Regulations
  • Health and safety management systems
  • Risk assessments and method statements
  • Induction and training
  • Effective communication
  • Leadership and worker engagement
  • Inspections and audits
  • Statutory forms, notices and registers
  • Accident prevention, reporting and investigation

Module 2: Health and welfare

  • Management of occupational health
  • Welfare facilities
  • Stress and mental health at work
  • Drugs and alcohol
  • Hazardous substances
  • Lead and asbestos
  • Dust and fumes
  • Noise and vibration
  • Manual handling

Module 3: General safety

  • Site organisation
  • Fire prevention and dangerous substances
  • Electrical safety
  • Temporary works
  • Work equipment and hand-held tools
  • Mobile plant and work equipment
  • Lifting operations and equipment
  • Mobile workforce and driver safety

Module 4: High-risk activities

  • Work at Height Regulations
  • Working at height
  • Access equipment
  • Scaffolding
  • Fall-arrest and suspension equipment
  • Excavations
  • Underground and overhead services
  • Confined spaces

The course helps delegates understand how these subjects relate to their management responsibilities, including planning, monitoring, communication, record keeping and the implementation of suitable control measures.

SMSTS, SSSTS or SMSTS Refresher?

Course

Intended audience

Duration

CITB SSSTS

Site supervisors and aspiring supervisors

2 days

CITB SMSTS

Site managers and aspiring site managers

5 days

CITB SMSTS Refresher

Delegates renewing a valid SMSTS certificate

2 days

You do not need to complete SSSTS before attending SMSTS. However, SSSTS may be a useful starting point for delegates without previous health and safety management experience.

Read our complete SMSTS vs SSSTS guide if you are unsure which course is appropriate.

Online SMSTS training

In addition to classroom courses, Essential Site Skills delivers SMSTS through live online training using Zoom.

Online courses are tutor led and interactive, with the same course content, exercises, trainer review and examination requirements as classroom delivery.

Full attendance and active participation are mandatory throughout all five days. If your internet connection fails for a prolonged period or repeatedly during the course, you may not be able to continue unless the connection can be re-established promptly. This is to ensure the required learning, exercises and interaction are completed without disrupting other delegates.

Delegates must complete all four core exercises, pass the trainer review and pass the end-of-course examination to achieve certification.

ESS will provide each delegate with access to the mandatory CITB course publications:

  • Construction Site Safety – The Comprehensive Guide (GE700)
  • Construction Site Management Delegate Workbook (XA6)

Delegates will receive a personalised Zoom meeting link and instructions for accessing the course publications as part of their joining information.

We recommend downloading Zoom before the course and checking that your camera, microphone and internet connection are working correctly. Delegates must have a suitable computer or laptop, a working webcam and microphone, a reliable internet connection and a quiet location from which to attend.

If a delegate cannot complete the required training because of connectivity, equipment or attendance issues, the applicable CITB rules for missed course days will apply.

Five-day block and day-release courses

Selected SMSTS dates are offered as either a five-day block or on a day-release basis.

Format

Schedule

Five-day block

Completed over five consecutive days

Day release

Completed at one or two days per week

CITB recommends completing SMSTS over five consecutive days to maintain continuity.

Day-release courses must normally be completed within five weeks. This may be extended to six weeks when interrupted by a bank holiday.

Entry requirements

There are no formal qualification requirements for attending the full SMSTS course.

However, delegates should already hold, or be preparing to take on, the role of a site manager. Previous construction health and safety knowledge is recommended.

CITB recommends the two-day SSSTS course as a possible starting point for delegates without previous health and safety management experience.

Delegates must have written and spoken English suitable for operating at site-management level.

Photographic identification, such as a driving licence or passport, will be required.

Contact Essential Site Skills before booking if you require advice about English-language requirements or reasonable adjustments.

Delegates Attending from Outside Great Britain (Remote Courses Only)

Essential Site Skills delivers CITB Site Safety Plus courses in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For delegates joining remotely from outside Great Britain, CITB requires a short written declaration confirming that they are attending the course in order to work within the Great British construction industry. This must be completed before the course begins.

Delegate Numbers

For SMSTS, the minimum number of delegates per course is four and the maximum is 20.

For remote delivery, the minimum number is four and the maximum is 12.

These numbers are stipulated by CITB.

Assessment

Assessment

To successfully complete the CITB SMSTS course, delegates must:

  1. Complete all four core exercises.
  2. Pass the trainer review.
  3. Pass the end-of-course examination.

Core exercises and trainer review

The four core exercises allow delegates to apply the course content to construction-management scenarios.

The trainer review is assessed on a pass or fail basis and considers:

  • Performance and engagement during the core exercises
  • Participation throughout the course
  • Application of the course material

Delegates must pass the trainer review before they are permitted to sit the examination.

SMSTS examination

The examination consists of 25 questions worth a total of 32 marks:

  • 18 multiple-choice questions worth one mark each
  • Seven multi-response or short written-answer questions worth two marks each

The higher-mark questions cover seven health and safety focus areas:

  • Working at height
  • Vehicles and pedestrians
  • Manual handling
  • Asbestos
  • Dust
  • Noise
  • Vibration

The examination:

  • Takes place at the end of the course
  • Lasts 35 minutes
  • Has a pass mark of 81%, equivalent to 26 out of 32
  • Is completed under examination conditions
  • Allows delegates to consult GE700 and XA6 during the final 15 minutes

SMSTS resit rules

A resit must be completed within 30 days.

A delegate may take one examination resit if they:

  • Complete all four core exercises
  • Pass the trainer review
  • Score 23, 24 or 25 marks in the examination

The resit may be offered on the same day, provided the delegate agrees and is given suitable time to prepare.

Otherwise, the resit must be completed within 30 days. It may be taken during the examination period on the final day of another SMSTS course or through an approved standalone resit.

A delegate must complete the full SMSTS course again if they:

  • Score 22 marks or fewer in the original examination
  • Are not eligible for a resit
  • Fail the permitted resit
  • Do not complete the resit within the required period

Additional charges may apply when arranging a resit.

Certification

Certification

Delegates who complete the four core exercises, pass the trainer review and achieve the examination pass mark will receive a digital CITB Site Safety Plus SMSTS certificate.

The certificate is valid for five years.

CITB Site Safety Plus certificates will appear on the CITB online card checker once the course paperwork has been processed.

To maintain SMSTS certification, delegates must complete the two-day SMSTS Refresher course before their current certificate expires.

There is no standard grace period. A delegate whose certificate has expired will normally need to complete the full five-day SMSTS course again.

CITB SMSTS

More Details

More Details

Course publications

Each delegate will receive their own copy of the mandatory CITB publications:

  • Construction Site Safety – The Comprehensive Guide (GE700)
  • Construction Site Management Delegate Workbook (XA6)

The publications are retained by the delegate after completing the course.

Instructions explaining how to access the publications will be included with the joining information. Delegates will use them during the training and may consult them during the final 15 minutes of the examination.

FAQs

FAQs

No. 

SMSTS provides recognised site-management safety training, but it is not an occupational competence qualification and is not accepted by itself for a Black CSCS Manager Card. Applicants normally require an approved management or technical qualification and the appropriate CITB Managers and Professionals HS&E test. However, your SMSTS certificate can be stored in the My Skills section of the My CSCS app.

No.

There is no UK law that specifically requires construction site managers to hold an SMSTS certificate. However, many employers, principal contractors and major construction sites require it as evidence of recognised management safety training. SMSTS supports competence, but a manager must also have the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience for their responsibilities.

Yes.

Although CITB recommends delivering SMSTS over five consecutive days, it can also be completed on a day-release basis at one or two days per week. The entire course must normally be completed within five weeks, although this can be extended to six weeks when interrupted by a bank holiday.

No.

CITB’s current Site Safety Plus rules state that an SMSTS certificate is accepted for Health and Safety Awareness, SSSTS and the relevant SSSTS and SMSTS refresher courses. Employers and clients may still request additional role-specific or site-specific training where necessary.