CITB SMSTS Course: What It Covers, Who It’s For, Cost, Duration and How to Book

Published: 6th August 2026

The CITB SMSTS course is a five-day construction safety management course for people who manage sites or are preparing to take on site management responsibilities. SMSTS stands for Site Management Safety Training Scheme and forms part of CITB’s Site Safety Plus course range.

For many learners, deciding to take SMSTS is only the first step. You may also need to know whether you should take the full course or the refresher, whether SMSTS or SSSTS better matches your role, how online training works and what happens when your certificate reaches its expiry date.

Need to book the course? View ACT’s upcoming SMSTS course dates and delivery options.

View ACT SMSTS Course Dates

What is the CITB SMSTS course?

The CITB SMSTS course is a five-day Site Safety Plus course for people who manage construction sites or are moving into site management responsibilities. It covers the legal, managerial and practical knowledge needed to plan, monitor and control health, safety and environmental matters on site.

CITB lists course content including:

legal responsibilities;
health and safety law;
the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015;
risk assessment;
site set-up;
management of site hazards;
occupational health; and
environmental issues.

The course is not just a review of legislation. Its purpose is to help managers apply their responsibilities to the planning and control of construction work.

CITB states that SMSTS focuses on planning, monitoring and controlling safety on construction sites, as well as applying current legal requirements and industry good practice.

For a manager, that means looking beyond individual hazards. You need to consider how work is planned, how people are briefed, whether controls are being followed and what action is needed when standards slip.

View upcoming ACT SMSTS course dates.

Who should take an SMSTS course?

SMSTS is aimed at people who already hold site management responsibilities or are preparing to move into a role where they will plan, organise, monitor, control or administer groups of workers.

The course may suit:

site managers;
project managers with site responsibilities;
construction managers;
contracts managers involved in site safety management;
supervisors preparing to step into management;
business owners managing construction operations; and
people who will take responsibility for planning and controlling groups of site staff.

CITB states that there are no formal entry requirements for SMSTS, but learners should hold, or be about to hold, a site manager role. CITB also recommends previous health and safety knowledge. For people without previous health and safety management experience, CITB recommends considering the two-day SSSTS course.

When might SMSTS not be the right course?

SMSTS is not automatically the right course for everyone with responsibility on a construction site.

You may need SSSTS instead if your role centres on supervising workers and work activities rather than managing site-wide health and safety responsibilities. CITB describes SSSTS as a two-day course for people who have, or are about to have, supervisory responsibilities.

You may need the SMSTS Refresher instead if you already hold a valid SMSTS certificate and need to renew it before expiry. CITB lists the refresher as a two-day course for people who have previously completed SMSTS or an earlier refresher.

Choosing the right route matters. A five-day management course is not always the right starting point for a new supervisor, while an experienced certificate holder may not need to repeat the full five-day programme.

Which CITB course sounds closest to your role?

Managing a construction site? Consider SMSTS.
Already hold valid SMSTS certification? Check the SMSTS Refresher route.
Supervising workers and site activities? Consider SSSTS.
Already hold a valid SSSTS certificate? Check the SSSTS Refresher.

Book an SMSTS Course with ACT

What does the CITB SMSTS course cover?

The CITB SMSTS course covers the management of health, safety, welfare and environmental responsibilities on construction sites. The course connects legal duties with the everyday decisions managers make when planning, organising and monitoring work.

Health and safety law and management duties

Site managers need to know which duties apply to construction work and how those duties affect the way work is organised.

SMSTS covers legal responsibilities, current health and safety law and the responsibilities attached to the management role. CITB says the course aims to help managers apply health, safety and environmental requirements within the context of their work.

The practical question is always: what does the law require the management team to do before work begins and while work is taking place?

CDM Regulations

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 form part of the SMSTS course content.

For site managers, CDM knowledge matters because construction health and safety depends on planning, co-operation and clear management arrangements. The course helps learners connect those duties with the work happening on site.

Risk assessments and method statements

A manager needs to know whether risks have been assessed, whether controls are suitable and whether the planned method of work is being followed.

CITB course material for SMSTS includes risk assessment, method statements and permits to work among its management topics.

The value of this part of the course is in applying documents to real work. A risk assessment that sits unread in a folder will not control a hazard. Managers need to communicate requirements, monitor work and act when site conditions or methods change.

Site set-up and hazard management

CITB lists site set-up and management of hazards among the course areas.

This can involve thinking about:

site access and security;
welfare;
traffic routes;
storage;
work sequencing;
work at height;
excavations;
plant and equipment;
electricity;
hazardous substances; and
communication between contractors and teams.

The course is broad because site management involves more than controlling one hazard at a time. Managers need to see how different work activities affect each other.

Occupational health

Construction management also involves risks that may cause illness rather than immediate injury.

CITB includes occupational health within SMSTS and related refresher content.

That brings attention to issues such as dust, fumes, noise, manual handling and other workplace health risks that need active management rather than being treated as secondary concerns.

Fire, emergency arrangements and site communication

Site managers need clear arrangements for emergencies and reliable communication with workers and contractors.

The course supports the wider management task of planning safe work, giving clear briefings and monitoring whether site arrangements are being followed.

Good site management is visible in what happens after the briefing. Managers need to check that controls are in place, intervene when unsafe work is seen and make sure changes are communicated.

Environmental responsibilities

Environmental issues also form part of the CITB SMSTS course.

Construction managers may need to control waste, pollution risks and work activities that could affect the surrounding area. The course places environmental duties alongside health, safety and welfare responsibilities rather than treating them as an unrelated topic.

How long is the SMSTS course and how is it delivered?

The standard CITB SMSTS course is delivered over five days. ACT offers the course in both classroom and live virtual classroom formats, giving learners the flexibility to choose the delivery method that best suits their needs.

The five days are needed because the course covers a broad range of management responsibilities.

Depending on the provider schedule, the course may be delivered as consecutive days or under another approved timetable. Learners should check the dates and attendance pattern before booking.

Can you do a CITB SMSTS course online?

Yes. CITB states that SMSTS can be taken in a classroom or through remote delivery.

For SMSTS, online training normally means live tutor-led remote learning rather than an unsupervised self-paced course.

ACT offers CITB SMSTS training in both live virtual classroom and classroom formats. The virtual course is delivered through live online sessions, allowing learners to join from any location while benefiting from scheduled tutor-led training and included assessments. For those who prefer face-to-face learning, classroom courses provide the same structured content in a traditional training environment, giving learners the flexibility to choose the format that best suits them.

Compare ACT SMSTS Dates and Delivery Options

How much does a CITB SMSTS course cost?

SMSTS prices vary between training providers and delivery formats, so buyers should compare what is included rather than choosing on price alone.

ACT’s five-day CITB SMSTS course is available from £550 + VAT, with both classroom and live virtual classroom options available. The course price includes the assessments fees too.

Before booking, check:

the full course price;
whether examinations are included;
the delivery format;
where classroom training takes place;
the dates and attendance pattern;
course material arrangements; and
what happens if you need to change a booking.

See ACT’s latest SMSTS course dates and prices.

What qualification do you get after passing the SMSTS course?

Learners who meet the CITB course requirements receive SMSTS certification through the Site Safety Plus scheme. CITB states that SMSTS certification is valid for five years.

SMSTS training is aimed at construction site management responsibilities and can support a person’s development into, or within, management roles.

It should not be presented as a guarantee of employment or promotion. Employers may look at SMSTS alongside experience, competence, trade or technical knowledge and other role requirements.

CITB describes Site Safety Plus as a range of health, safety and environmental courses for people at different stages of construction careers, from operatives through to managers.

For someone comparing courses, the key point is role fit. SMSTS is for site management responsibilities, while other Site Safety Plus courses are built for different levels.

How long is the SMSTS certificate valid for?

An SMSTS certificate is valid for five years. To maintain certification, CITB says you must retake the full course or complete the SMSTS Refresher before the current certificate expires.

The SMSTS Refresher is a two-day course for existing certificate holders. It revisits the areas covered by the five-day course and updates learners on current legal responsibilities, CDM, risk assessment, site set-up, hazard management, occupational health and environmental matters.

Do not leave the decision until after the expiry date.

CITB’s current refresher entry information requires a valid SMSTS certificate for the refresher route. CITB training standards state that failure to attend the refresher before expiry requires the learner to re-enter through the full SMSTS course.

Already hold SMSTS?

Check the expiry date on your certification and book the refresher early enough to complete it within the current validity period.

View ACT’s SMSTS Refresher Course

SMSTS vs SSSTS: which CITB course do you need?

SMSTS is aimed at site managers and people moving into management responsibilities, while SSSTS is aimed at people who have, or are about to have, supervisory responsibilities.

Question	SMSTS	SSSTS
Best for	Site managers and people moving into management	Site supervisors and people moving into supervision
Main focus	Planning, organising, monitoring and controlling site safety	Supervising work, applying controls and communicating with teams
Course length	5 days	2 days
Certificate period	5 years	5 years
Renewal route	SMSTS Refresher	SSSTS Refresher

CITB describes SSSTS as a two-day course covering health and safety law for supervisors, risk assessment, method statements, site induction, toolbox talks, monitoring and intervention when poor practice is seen.

SMSTS goes further into the management responsibilities attached to planning, organising, monitoring, controlling and administering groups of staff.

The easiest way to choose is to look at your real responsibility.

Supervising a team or work activity? SSSTS may fit better.

Managing a site or preparing for site management responsibility? SMSTS is more likely to match the role.

Already hold valid certification? Check the matching refresher route before booking the full course again.

When should you take the full SMSTS course instead of the SMSTS Refresher?

Take the full five-day SMSTS course if you have not completed SMSTS before or need to re-enter the scheme after your certification has expired.

The SMSTS Refresher is for existing certificate holders renewing within the applicable CITB requirements. CITB lists it as a two-day course for people who previously passed the five-day SMSTS course or an earlier refresher.

Take the full SMSTS course when:

you have never completed SMSTS;
you are moving into site management and need the full course;
your previous certification has expired and you no longer meet refresher entry requirements; or
you need to retake the full programme to maintain certification.

Take the SMSTS Refresher when:

you already hold the required valid SMSTS certification; and
you need to renew before expiry.

CITB states that the refresher lasts two days and can be delivered in a classroom or remotely.

Unsure which course to book? Check your certificate date before choosing between the full SMSTS course and SMSTS Refresher.

Is SMSTS a legal requirement?

SMSTS is a recognised construction management training course, but CITB does not describe it as a blanket statutory requirement for every site manager.

The legal duty is wider than holding one named course certificate. Construction work must be planned, managed and monitored by people with the knowledge and capability needed for their responsibilities.

SMSTS is built around site management responsibilities and current construction health and safety requirements. CITB describes it as training for people who plan, organise, monitor, control and administer groups of staff.

Employers, clients, principal contractors or supply-chain requirements may expect SMSTS for certain management roles or projects.

The sensible approach is to check the requirements of the role and project rather than assuming that one course certificate answers every competence question.

Why choose ACT for your CITB SMSTS course?

ACT gives learners a direct route to SMSTS training while also offering related CITB courses for managers and supervisors who need a different starting point.

Current ACT course information shows:

five-day SMSTS training from £550 + VAT;
classroom SMSTS options;
live virtual SMSTS training;
SMSTS Refresher training;
two-day SSSTS training;
SSSTS Refresher training; and
a wider CITB course range.

Here at ACT, we also offers classroom, virtual and in-house training routes across its wider training offer. The company states that it has delivered health and safety training since 1991.

For buyers, the useful point is choice. Someone who needs SSSTS or a refresher should be directed to the right course rather than pushed into the full SMSTS programme.

Need help choosing between SMSTS, SMSTS Refresher and SSSTS? Review ACT’s CITB course range before booking.

Book your CITB SMSTS course with ACT

The CITB SMSTS course is a five-day management-level course for people who already manage construction sites or are preparing to take on site management responsibilities. CITB states that it covers legal responsibilities, CDM 2015, risk assessment, site set-up, hazard management, occupational health and environmental issues.

Before booking, check whether you need:

the full SMSTS course;
the SMSTS Refresher;
SSSTS for a supervisory role; or
another CITB course that better fits your responsibilities.

View ACT’s SMSTS Course Dates

Browse ACT’s CITB Training Courses

FAQs about the CITB SMSTS course

What does SMSTS stand for?

SMSTS stands for Site Management Safety Training Scheme. It is a CITB Site Safety Plus course for people who manage construction sites or are preparing to take on management responsibilities.

How long is the CITB SMSTS course?

The standard CITB SMSTS course lasts five days. CITB allows classroom and remote delivery, and we currently offers classroom and live virtual course options.

Is the SMSTS certificate valid for five years?

Yes. CITB states that SMSTS certification is valid for five years. To remain certified, you need to retake the full course or complete the SMSTS Refresher before expiry.

Can I take the SMSTS course online?

Yes. CITB permits remote SMSTS delivery. Currently, here at ACT we offer a live virtual SMSTS course delivered through online video conferencing, rather than self-paced study.

Do I need SMSTS or SSSTS?

SMSTS is aimed at site managers and people moving into management responsibilities. SSSTS is a two-day course aimed at people who have, or are preparing to take on, supervisory responsibilities.

What happens if my SMSTS certificate expires?

Current CITB entry rules for the refresher require eligible certification, and CITB standards state that learners who fail to complete the refresher before expiry must re-enter through the full SMSTS course. Check your certificate date early rather than booking close to expiry.

Is the SMSTS course hard?

SMSTS covers a broad range of site management topics across five days, so learners should be ready to take part fully and apply course content to construction management situations. CITB recommends previous health and safety knowledge and notes that people without health and safety management experience may benefit from taking SSSTS.