SMSTS vs SSSTS: What’s the Difference and Which Course Do You Need?

If you work in construction and are moving into a supervisory or management role, you may be considering an SMSTS or SSSTS qualification. Both are widely recognised construction health and safety courses, but they are designed for people with different levels of responsibility.

Understanding the difference between SMSTS and SSSTS is important when choosing the right training. While the courses cover some similar areas, including health and safety legislation, risk management and safe working practices, the depth of the training and the responsibilities of the people attending are different.

In simple terms, SSSTS is primarily designed for site supervisors and people preparing to take on supervisory responsibilities, while SMSTS is aimed at site managers and others responsible for planning, organising, monitoring and controlling work on construction sites. CITB currently describes SSSTS as a two-day course and SMSTS as a five-day course.

In this guide, The Building Safety Group explains the difference between the two qualifications, who each course is suitable for and what you should consider when deciding between SMSTS and SSSTS.

 

What does SMSTS stand for?

 

SMSTS stands for Site Management Safety Training Scheme.

The SMSTS course is part of the CITB Site Safety Plus range and is designed primarily for people who hold, or are preparing to hold, management responsibilities within construction.

This can include:

• Site managers
• Project managers
• Construction managers
• Site agents
• Supervisors moving into management
• Business owners with responsibility for construction activities
• Other people responsible for planning and managing construction work

The course focuses on the responsibilities associated with managing health, safety and environmental matters on site. It helps delegates understand how relevant legislation applies to their role and how health and safety requirements should be planned, implemented and monitored.

CITB currently describes SMSTS as suitable for people responsible for planning, organising, monitoring, controlling and administering groups of staff. The course lasts five days.

 

What does SSSTS stand for?

 

SSSTS stands for Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme.

The SSSTS course is designed for people who have, or are about to take on, supervisory responsibilities within the construction industry.

Typical delegates can include:

• Site supervisors
• Working foremen
• Team leaders
• Gangers
• First-line managers
• Experienced workers moving into supervisory positions

The training helps supervisors understand their health and safety responsibilities and how their role fits within the wider management structure of a construction project.

The course also looks at practical supervisory activities such as risk assessments, method statements, site inductions, toolbox talks and monitoring work on site. BSG’s current SSSTS course is delivered over two days.

 

What is the main difference between SMSTS and SSSTS?

 

The main difference between SMSTS and SSSTS is the level of responsibility that each course is intended to support.

SSSTS concentrates on site supervision. It helps people understand how to supervise workers safely, identify poor practice, communicate health and safety requirements and monitor activities within their area of responsibility.

SMSTS takes a broader management-level view. It is intended for people who may be responsible for planning work, implementing site-wide health and safety arrangements, managing risks and ensuring that legal and organisational requirements are followed.

Another significant difference is the length of the courses.

SSSTS lasts two days, while SMSTS lasts five days.

The longer duration of SMSTS reflects the wider range of management responsibilities and topics covered.

 

SMSTS vs SSSTS at a glance

 

Here is a simple comparison:

 

	SMSTS	SSSTS
Full name	Site Management Safety Training Scheme	Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme
Typical role	Site manager	Site supervisor
Course length	Five days	Two days
Level of responsibility	Management	Supervision
Suitable for aspiring roles?	Yes	Yes
Certificate validity	Five years	Five years
Main focus	Managing health, safety and environmental responsibilities across construction activities	Supervising work safely and effectively
Refresher training available	Yes	Yes

 

Both courses are part of CITB’s Site Safety Plus suite and both certifications are currently valid for five years. To maintain certification, delegates need to complete the relevant refresher or otherwise meet CITB’s current renewal requirements before expiry.

 

Who should take the SSSTS course?

 

SSSTS is generally the more appropriate option if you are working at supervisory level or preparing to become a site supervisor.

For example, you may currently be an experienced tradesperson who has been asked to supervise a team. Your responsibilities may now include making sure work is completed in accordance with method statements, delivering toolbox talks, checking that workers understand the risks associated with a task and intervening when unsafe working practices are identified.

These responsibilities require more than technical knowledge of your own trade. Supervisors need to understand how health and safety law relates to their position and how they can contribute to the effective management of risk.

The SSSTS course covers areas including:

• Health and safety law
• Supervisory responsibilities
• Risk assessments
• Method statements
• Site inductions
• Toolbox talks
• Monitoring site activities
• Responding to unsafe practices
• Health, safety, welfare and environmental issues

At BSG, our SSSTS course is aimed at first-line managers, foremen, gangers, team leaders, supervisors and people who are preparing to take on supervisory responsibilities.

 

Who should take the SMSTS course?

 

SMSTS is designed for people who have a greater level of management responsibility.

A site manager may be responsible for overseeing multiple trades and supervisors, reviewing health and safety arrangements, managing site risks and making sure work is organised in accordance with legal requirements and company procedures.

The role can involve decisions that affect the safety of the entire site rather than one individual team.

The SMSTS course therefore covers a broader range of subjects. CITB’s current course information includes areas such as the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, risk assessments, site set-up, occupational health, environmental issues and the management of common construction hazards.

At BSG, our SMSTS training is intended to help site managers, agents and supervisors manage health and safety in accordance with current legal provisions and within the context of their management responsibilities.

The course helps delegates consider not simply whether an individual task is safe, but how health and safety should be managed across construction activities.

 

Is SMSTS higher than SSSTS?

 

It is common to describe SMSTS as being at a higher level than SSSTS because it is designed for management responsibilities rather than primarily supervisory responsibilities.

However, it is better to think about the courses in terms of job role and responsibility rather than treating them simply as a hierarchy of qualifications.

SSSTS provides training suited to supervisors. SMSTS provides more extensive training suited to managers.

Someone who is supervising a small team may therefore find SSSTS more directly relevant to their day-to-day responsibilities, while somebody managing a construction site may need the broader knowledge covered by SMSTS.

CITB also recommends SSSTS for people without previous health and safety management experience who are considering progressing towards site management responsibilities.

 

Can you do SMSTS without SSSTS?

 

You do not generally have to complete SSSTS before attending SMSTS.

CITB does not currently specify SSSTS as a formal entry requirement for its main SMSTS course. However, delegates should hold, or be about to hold, a relevant management role and previous health and safety knowledge is recommended. CITB specifically notes that people without previous health and safety management experience are recommended to take SSSTS.

For an experienced supervisor progressing into site management, completing SSSTS first can provide a useful foundation.

Someone who already has substantial construction management experience may instead be suitable for SMSTS without previously completing SSSTS.

The important consideration is whether the course matches your current or forthcoming responsibilities.

 

Can you progress from SSSTS to SMSTS?

 

Yes. Progression from SSSTS to SMSTS can be a logical training route for people developing their careers from site supervision into site management.

For example, someone may initially take SSSTS when promoted from an operative or tradesperson role into a supervisory position. As their career develops, they may become responsible for larger teams, greater areas of a project or the management of an entire site.

At that point, SMSTS may be the more suitable training option.

Our SSSTS course information specifically identifies the five-day Site Management Safety Training Scheme as a potential progression route for successful candidates.

This means that employers can also use the two courses as part of a structured approach to developing supervisors and managers within their business.

 

Is SMSTS a legal requirement?

 

There is an important distinction between a legal duty to manage health and safety and a requirement to hold a specific training certificate.

UK health and safety legislation places significant responsibilities on employers and those who plan, manage and supervise construction work. However, this does not mean that the law simply states that every site manager must hold an SMSTS certificate.

SMSTS is an industry-recognised training course intended to help managers develop the knowledge needed to fulfil their health and safety responsibilities. CITB describes the course as focusing on managing health, safety and environmental matters in line with current legal provisions.

Individual employers, principal contractors, clients or projects may also set their own competence or training requirements for site management roles.

As a result, anyone moving into a site management position should check the requirements set by their employer and the projects on which they intend to work.

 

Is SSSTS a legal requirement?

 

The same general distinction applies to SSSTS.

Health and safety law requires construction activities to be appropriately planned, managed and monitored, with people carrying out relevant roles having the necessary skills, knowledge, training and experience for the work they undertake.

SSSTS is a recognised way of providing supervisors with health and safety training relevant to their responsibilities, but businesses should consider the particular competence and training requirements that apply to their workforce and projects.

The qualification may also be required by particular employers, contractors or sites as part of their own rules for supervisory personnel.

 

How long do SMSTS and SSSTS certificates last?

 

Both SMSTS and SSSTS certificates are currently valid for five years.

It is important not to leave renewal until after the certificate expires.

CITB currently provides refresher routes for both courses. For SMSTS, delegates can complete the Site Management Safety Training Scheme Refresher. SSSTS holders can complete the Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme Refresher.

Businesses should keep clear records of certificate expiry dates so training can be planned in advance.

This is particularly important where a worker’s ability to carry out a particular role on a project depends on holding current certification.

 

Does SMSTS cover more than SSSTS?

 

Yes, although the difference is not simply a case of one course containing more information.

The courses approach construction health and safety from different levels of responsibility.

An SSSTS delegate needs to understand how to supervise work safely, communicate requirements and monitor what is happening within their team or work area.

An SMSTS delegate needs to consider how health and safety arrangements are managed more broadly.

This can involve areas such as:

• Planning and organising work
• Understanding management responsibilities
• Managing contractors and site activities
• Applying legal requirements
• Assessing and controlling risks
• Managing common construction hazards
• Monitoring standards across a site
• Occupational health
• Welfare arrangements
• Environmental responsibilities
• Building and maintaining a positive health and safety culture

The five-day SMSTS format allows these responsibilities to be considered in greater depth than would be appropriate for a two-day supervisory course.

 

Which course should I choose: SMSTS or SSSTS?

 

The best way to decide is to look at your actual responsibilities rather than your job title alone.

You should consider SSSTS if:

• You supervise workers or are preparing to do so
• You are a team leader, foreman or first-line manager
• You need a better understanding of supervisory health and safety responsibilities
• You deliver briefings, toolbox talks or site inductions
• You monitor work and need to intervene when unsafe practices occur
• You are beginning a progression route towards construction management

You should consider SMSTS if:

• You manage or are preparing to manage a construction site
• You plan and organise the work of multiple teams
• You have responsibility for site-wide health and safety arrangements
• You need to understand management responsibilities under construction health and safety legislation
• You are responsible for monitoring and controlling construction activities
• Your employer or client requires SMSTS for your management position

If you are unsure which course is appropriate, consider the decisions you are expected to make at work.

If your role is primarily about supervising people and tasks, SSSTS is likely to be the more relevant starting point.

If your role involves planning, managing and controlling wider construction activities, SMSTS is likely to be more appropriate.

 

Why health and safety training matters for supervisors and managers

 

Effective construction health and safety management relies on people at every level understanding their responsibilities.

Supervisors are often closest to day-to-day work. They may be the first people to identify poor practice, changing site conditions or workers failing to follow agreed controls.

Managers have a broader responsibility for making sure suitable arrangements are established, communicated and monitored.

Training cannot replace practical competence, experience or effective site management. However, appropriate training can help supervisors and managers understand the principles, legal duties and management practices they need to apply within their roles.

Choosing the right course is therefore important. Sending a supervisor on management-level training that is not appropriate to their experience may not provide the best development route. Equally, relying only on supervisory-level training for someone with substantial site management responsibilities may leave important areas of knowledge uncovered.

 

Book SMSTS or SSSTS training with The Building Safety Group

 

At The Building Safety Group, we provide construction health and safety training for businesses and individuals across the UK.

Our CITB Site Safety Plus courses include both SMSTS and SSSTS, helping construction companies provide appropriate training for supervisors, managers and people preparing to progress into more senior roles.

Whether you need training for one member of staff or are planning development across a wider workforce, you can view our available dates and book training courses through our training service.

If you are uncertain whether SMSTS or SSSTS is the right option for you or your employees, get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.

Choosing training that reflects a person’s real responsibilities is an important part of building competent supervision and management across construction projects. For those beginning a supervisory role, SSSTS can provide the relevant foundation. For those responsible for managing construction sites and wider site activities, SMSTS provides more extensive management-focused training.