Picking the right CITB course

Before you choose which CITB course to take, make sure you understand the content and demographic each course is aimed at.

The SMSTS course

The Site Managers Safety Training Scheme course is a five day option. It covers current legislation, responsibilities, site hazards and risk assessment for managers on a construction site. This course is specifically designed for those managing or progressing to manage a whole site, which is why is it one of the longer CITB courses available, as there is a lot of ground to cover.

The SMSTS CITB course is assessed by a 25 question, multiple choice exam at the end of the course. Candidates also need to complete the hours designated by the CITB (the full five days) in order to pass. 

If you are a team lead or supervisor then the supervisors’ course (SSSTS) detailed below is probably best suited to you.

The SSSTS course

The Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme course lasts two days in duration. It is specifically designed for those who are supervising a particular team of workers on site, rather than the site in its entirety. It covers the legal and moral responsibilities of a supervisor, how to identify and minimise risks on site and how to brief workers on aspects of safety. 

It is assessed in much the same way as the SMSTS CITB course, with a multiple choice test at the end of the two days

The Health and Safety Awareness Course

The Health and Safety Awareness course is more at introductory level than either the SMSTS or SSSTS courses, and this is reflected in its single day duration. It is designed for anyone who is at the beginning of their time working on site and needs to know the basics of health and safety on a construction site. Its purpose is to familiarise delegates with the potential hazards of working in construction and how to ensure that these are minimised. 

The Achieving Behavioural Change course

The ABC course is another single day course, aimed at introducing delegates to the importance of health and safety on a construction site. The main goal of this CITB course is to change the perception of health and safety in construction; therefore the course focuses on the benefit of health and safety practices, with a view to shifting the view from ‘hassle’ to ‘help’.

The Refresher courses

The SMSTS and SSSTS courses all offer refresher course options to those that have successfully completed the full course but need to refresh their knowledge when their certificate expires. Refresher courses are a great opportunity to maintain your qualification, whilst saving time and money. 

• SMSTS Refresher courses (2 days)
• SSSTS Refresher courses (1 day)