CITB FAQ's

SMSTS stands for Site Management Safety Training Scheme which is a 5 day classroom-based training course from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) is part of the CITB Site Safety Plus suite of training courses.

You can read all about SMSTS courses in detail in our SMSTS Complete Guide.

SSSTS stands for Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme which is a 2 day classroom-based training course from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) is part of the CITB Site Safety Plus suite of training courses.

You can read all about SSSTS courses in detail in our SSSTS Complete Guide.

Yes! Following Covid, CITB amended their courses so you now CAN take SMSTS courses online! You can search our website and filter the format to show only 'Online' courses. Read more about it in our blog 'Online Learning… what me?'

These details are correct as of CITB's updated 2018 Site Safety Plus scheme rules.

The Site Safety Plus (SSP) suite of training courses from CITB are aimed at providing knowledge to all levels of UK construction personnel, from operative to senior manager.

The main CITB Site Safety Plus courses include:

• Achieving Behavioural Change (ABC)
• Director's Role for Health and Safety (DRHS)
• Health and Safety Awareness (HSA)
• Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme (SEATS)
• Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS)
• Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme Refresher (SSSTS-R)
• Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)
• Site Management Safety Training Scheme Refresher (SMSTS-R)
• Temporary Works Co-ordinator Training Course (TWCTC)
• Temporary Works Supervisor Training Course (TWSTC)

CSCS (Construcion Skills Certification Scheme) provide cards for workers to prove that they have become competent in the type of work they carry out.

• A CSCS card costs from £30.
• The 'touch screen' test, properly known as Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test costs £22.50.

You will need the required qualifications first.

Also please be aware of organisations charging more than these prices. Some charge a small amount as they assist in your application.

You can find your nearest CITB Touch Screen Test centre to book your CITB HS&E Test using the following link:

https://wsr.pearsonvue.com/citb/seatsearch

Then click on Health, safety & environment test and it will give you a list of different versions of the test available.

The top link, Health, safety and environment test for operatives, will be the test most people need to book, if you're wanting to apply for your CSCS Green Labourer Card for example.

The other tests are all for specific skills or trades.

Please read our blog post about booking a CITB Touch Screen Test.

You can use the CITB Card Checker to see if you or one of your delegates as recently passed a CITB course.

You can use the CITB Card Checker to see if a CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme), CPCS (Construction Plant Competence Scheme) or CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) membership card is valid.

If you are a CITB levy payer then you can claim back a grant when one of your employees attends a CITB training course.

To claim the CITB grant when one of your employees attends a CITB Site Safety Plus course, ensure your delegate informs the training provider of your company's CITB levy number when they register onto the course on the first day.

Don't forget that to qualify for the attendance grants throughout the year you must complete your CITB Levy Return before 31 December each year, as well as complete a grants claim form and sent it to CITB before 30 June each year.

The Scheme Rules specified by CITB state that delegates attending one of their Site Safety Plus courses must attend all prescribed sessions in full, per the below list of required contact hours:

If a session (or part of a session) is missed then the delegate must rebook and attend another course in full, which will almost always require the full payment of courses fees again.

This can be especially problematic for those attending a refresher course as it may take a delegate beyond the expiration of his or her certificate which will result in them having to attend (and pay for) the full course again. CITB no longer accept appeals for a delegate wishing to attend a refresher course after the expiry date of their certificate.

Accepted CITB extenuating circumstances

While there is no exhaustive list of extenuating circumstances that CITB will accept for missing part of one of their Site Safety Plus courses, they are pretty much limited to:

• bereavement
• certified illness.

CITB must first authorise a rebooking request where a session was missed due to extenuating circumstances.

If approved by CITB, the delegate may attend another course from the missed session onwards, as long as this is done within 90 days of the last day of attendance.

Reasons CITB will definitely not accept

Approval will NOT be granted for reasons such as:

• workload
• holiday
• travel delays
• getting lost.
  

Minimum CITB course attendees

Please also remember that training providers are governed by strict rules stipulated by CITB and one of these rules is minimum and maximum delegates per course.

If you fail to attend a scheduled session then you could be putting the whole course in jeopardy because the tutor will have no choice but to send everyone else home if this puts the number of attendees below the specified limit.