SMSTS is one of our flagship safety courses, but that doesn’t mean that everyone’s equally clued in. The popularity of the course means there are also a bunch of questions around it: from what you learn on the course, to how long it takes, to what you can do with the certificate you receive.
We’re here to answer all of those questions and more. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the SMSTS course—and if there’s anything we haven’t covered, feel free to reach out to us and let us know, or visit our SMSTS course page to see if we’ve covered it there.
What is SMSTS? / What does SMSTS stand for?
The Site Manager Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) is a safety training course for site managers. It gives site managers the tools they need to ensure that all work on site is carried out safely, and in line with health & safety legislation. This not only helps to stop serious injuries, but also long-term health issues that can impact both employees and companies.
The Site Manager Safety Training Scheme is administered by CITB, the industry training board for the construction sector in Great Britain. CITB develop a range of training courses that aim to increase skills and knowledge across the industry, including Site Safety Plus (SSP) courses such as Health & Safety Awareness, SMSTS and SSSTS.
How long does SMSTS last? / How long is SMSTS valid for?
An SMSTS qualification lasts for five years. Anyone with an SMSTS qualification can take a cheaper SMSTS Refresher course to update their SMSTS knowledge, and extend their certificate for a further five years. This course has to be taken before the expiry of your certificate, otherwise you will be required to complete the full course again.
How do I find my SMSTS certificate? / How do I get a replacement SMSTS certificate?
The company that you completed your training with will provide you with a copy of your SMSTS certificate. However, they will usually also keep a copy of your certificate on file.
If you lose your certificate, you will need to contact your training provider to request a copy of your certificate, which may incur an additional fee. You can also check your training record and prove the validity of your certificate by using the Card Checker tool on the CITB website.
How much is an SMSTS course?
At the time of writing, our SMSTS course costs £400 + VAT. We’re constantly evaluating the value our 5* rated course delivers to our learners, and we occasionally offer discounts on this and other courses. You can usually find these in our site banner or on our social media.
What CSCS card can I get with SMSTS?
No. Much like the SSSTS course, SMSTS provides learners with key knowledge about health & safety in the workplace, including information that’s highly relevant to construction. However, the information in the SMSTS course can be applied by managers and supervisors in many situations, and does not test any practical construction skills or knowledge.
Courses used to apply for a CSCS card tend to be specific to certain roles in construction, and involve testing under strict exam conditions. By contrast, SMSTS provides more general information, and involves continuous assessment and a multiple choice test. SMSTS is a great way to improve your knowledge as a site manager and improve site safety compliance, which is why it’s often a requirement for many construction sites. However, it isn’t a direct way of qualifying for a CSCS card.
Can I get a black CSCS card with SMSTS?
No. As discussed above, the SMSTS course is not a route to any CSCS card, as it is purely safety-related and does not teach practical construction skills.
The black (manager) CSCS card requires a Level 6 construction-related NVQ qualification, as well as having completed the CITB Health, Safety & Environment test.
What is SMSTS equivalent to? Is SMSTS an NVQ?
As SMSTS is not a form of vocational training, it isn’t directly equivalent to any NVQ course.
As an example, the requirement for a black (manager) CSCS card is NVQ Level 6, which is roughly equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree. NVQ Level 6 courses can take 12 to 18 months to complete—by comparison, our SMSTS course only takes five days to complete.
Can you do an SMSTS course online?
Yes! SAMS offers online SMSTS training via Zoom, allowing you to learn from home or work with our expert tutors. We were one of the first companies to offer online training during the pandemic, and have continued to hone our skills teaching courses online.
Our online classrooms are fun and engaging environments that help you learn by asking questions and learning with your peers. We’ve had huge success with our online courses, achieving a near 100% pass rate for SMSTS. You can learn more about our SMSTS online course and book your place on an upcoming course by visiting our course page here.
Do I need CSCS if I have SMSTS?
CSCS and SMSTS are two common but separate requirements for worksites. A CSCS card demonstrates competence in practical construction skills, while an SMSTS certificate demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge of site safety practices, both in terms of how to work safely and keep other people safe. Many worksites require both qualifications, although the level of qualification will differ depending on the specific site and your own role.
Do you need CSCS to take an SMSTS course? / DO I need experience to take an SMSTS course?
No—there are no formal requirements to take an SMSTS course. The only requirements for taking our SMSTS course are a reasonable level of English language proficiency, and the ability to use the Zoom video conferencing app.
Does SMSTS cover CSCS?
No. Taking the SMSTS course won’t cover any of the requirements for a CSCS card. However, the safety skills and information you learn on the SMSTS course will improve your abilities and knowledge as a site manager, and can contribute towards a better understanding of site management, and your ability to achieve a CSCS qualification.
Does SMSTS replace CSCS?
No. SMSTS and CSCS serve different purposes—SMSTS teaches site safety practices that can be applied across multiple industries, while CSCS covers practical skills and knowledge specifically relating to construction.
SMSTS and CSCS are designed to complement each other, with one improving site safety through behaviours and policies, and the other improving safety and efficiency through better construction skills.
Is SMSTS a legal requirement?
There isn’t a legal requirement to get an SMSTS certificate, but achieving your SMSTS qualification can help you to comply with the law. SMSTS teaches you up-to-date safety legislation, and strategies to help yourself and your colleagues meet the requirements of that legislation.
While you could get this information elsewhere, the SMSTS course is an industry standard for improving your safety knowledge. Because having an SMSTS certificate is an easy way to ensure you know how to comply with safety laws, it is a requirement on many sites.
Is the SMSTS course hard? / Is SMSTS hard to pass?
In our experience, no! While SMSTS can be tricky for some people due to the amount of legislation you need to go through and understand, we break everything down and try to make it as easy to learn as possible.
Our trainers have all taken the course and have years of experience teaching it, with many of them coming from trades themselves. As a result, we know how to teach it in a way that engages people and keeps them interested.
It’s why we have an over 90% pass rate on our Site Safety Plus courses, and 5* ratings from dozens of our past learners. Follow this link to read some of our testimonials from SMSTS and our other courses (our trainers are multi-talented).
Can I get a grant for an SMSTS course?
All employers registered with CITB can apply for grants for their employees. This is true regardless of the size of your business, and whether or not you pay a levy to the CITB.
Different amounts of grant money are available depending on the courses being taken. SMSTS is considered a Tier 3 Short Course, providing £240 per individual per course.
Individuals are not entitled to grants unless their employer is a CITB member. You’ll need to talk to your employer to discuss the prospect of taking the course and receiving the grant.
Can I put my SMSTS onto my CSCS card?
Not exactly. While you can’t put your SMSTS onto your CSCS card, you can view both your CSCS card and Site Safety Plus qualifications using this online tool on the CITB website.
You’ll need a couple of pieces of information to access these. For your CSCS card, this might be your card number and surname, while for your SMSTS certificate it could be your surname and your ID or registration number. It’s worth jotting these down for future reference in case you lose or misplace your certificate or card.
What is better: SMSTS or SSSTS?
Neither course is necessarily better, as they both serve different purposes. SMSTS focusses on the responsibilities of a site manager, while SSSTS focusses on the responsibilities of a site supervisor.
A good way to think about it is that SMSTS is more strategic, while SSSTS is more tactical. SMSTS covers the implementation of best practices, and includes a more comprehensive grounding in safety laws, allowing site managers to implement strategies across a site.
By contrast, SSSTS focusses on direct, day-to-day interactions with employees more than policymaking. The SSSTS course helps supervisors to take action to identify and mitigate risks through things like inductions, toolbox talks, and risk assessments.
SMSTS is a longer and more expensive course than SSSTS, but this doesn’t mean it is better, or that it is just a longer version of SSSTS. Both courses are important and both serve different purposes, with each being suited to different roles on site.
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We hope this guide has been helpful. As mentioned above, please get in touch via our contact form or live chat if you have any questions that haven’t been answered. Alternatively, visit our SMSTS course page to learn more, and book your place on an online course today.