SSSTS vs SMSTS: Which Site Safety Course Do You Need?

SSSTS (Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme) and SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) are the two most common courses under CITB's Site Safety Plus umbrella. Both teach health and safety responsibilities on a construction site, but they're pitched at different levels of seniority.

At a glance

	SSSTS	SMSTS
Who it's for	Supervisors and team leaders	Site managers and senior supervisors
Duration	2 days	5 days
Typical cost	Around £250–£300 + VAT	Around £450–£550 + VAT
Certificate validity	5 years (CITB renewable)	5 years (CITB renewable)
Linked CSCS card	Gold (Supervisory)	Black (Manager)

Prices vary between training centres and locations, so treat the figures above as a guide rather than a fixed quote — we'll confirm the exact cost with the approved partner centre delivering your course.

What SSSTS covers

SSSTS is a 2-day course covering health and safety legislation, risk assessments and method statements, accident prevention, hazard identification, behavioural safety, and the supervisor's role in promoting a positive safety culture on site.

What SMSTS covers

SMSTS goes further, over 5 days, covering health and safety law and management in more depth, along with risk assessment and method statements, accident prevention and investigation, and environmental management — reflecting the broader legal responsibility a site manager carries.

Which one should you book?

If you supervise a team or a specific area of work but don't have overall responsibility for the site, SSSTS is usually the right starting point and the one most commonly required for a Gold CSCS card. If you're managing a site, or moving into a site management role, SMSTS is the industry-standard qualification and generally expected for a Black CSCS Manager card.

Both certificates last five years, after which you'll need to attend a shorter refresher course to keep your card and certificate current — book this before your existing certificate expires to avoid a gap.