Home » Which CITB Course Do I Need?

Which CITB Course Do I Need?

The CITB Site Safety Plus scheme is built around what you do on site rather than how senior you are. There is a course for operatives, one for supervisors, one for site managers, and separate courses for temporary works, environmental duties and tunnelling.

Picking the wrong one is common and expensive, because a principal contractor will usually name the specific certificate they expect to see. Answer the three questions below and this tool will tell you which course applies, whether you need the full course or the shorter refresher, and what that means for a CSCS card. Most Site Safety Plus certificates last five years.

Envico

Find your Site Safety Plus course

Three quick questions and you will know which CITB course applies to you, and whether the shorter refresher still counts.

1
What do you actually do on site?

Site Safety Plus follows your duties, not your job title.

Your answer appears here

Work through the questions and we will show you the course to book, how long it takes, and anything commonly needed alongside it.

Guidance only, based on the CITB Site Safety Plus scheme rules current at 7 September 2026. Scheme rules and card requirements are set by CITB and CSCS and can change. Check your own certificate dates before booking.

Common questions

Do I need SMSTS or SSSTS?

It follows your duties, not your job title. SSSTS is for supervisors, team leaders and anyone directing a gang or a trade. SMSTS is for site managers and anyone carrying full management responsibility for health and safety on a site. SSSTS is the usual stepping stone to SMSTS but it is not a prerequisite, so you can take SMSTS directly. Where a contract names one specifically, book that one.

What happens if my CITB certificate has already expired?

You retake the full course. Site Safety Plus certificates carry no grace period, so a certificate that lapsed by a single day is treated exactly the same as one that lapsed two years ago. The CITB scheme rules are explicit that anyone without an in-date certificate must complete the full course again, and that this is not subject to appeal. For SMSTS that means five days rather than two, at several times the cost. Book refreshers three to six months before expiry rather than in the final weeks.

How long does a CITB certificate last?

Five years from the date of the course for almost all of them. SMSTS, SSSTS and the Temporary Works Coordinator course are then renewed by a shorter refresher. Health and Safety Awareness, SEATS, the Temporary Works Supervisor course and the Directors Role course have no refresher route and are simply retaken if they are still needed. Tunnelling Safety is the exception worth checking: the CITB scheme rules give it a three-year validation period, so go by the expiry date printed on your own certificate.

Is a CITB course the same as a CSCS card?

No. A CITB Site Safety Plus course is a training qualification. A CSCS card is proof of competence you carry on site and show at the gate. Most CSCS card applications require a pass in the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test, and that pass is only valid for two years, so line the two up rather than letting the test go stale while you gather qualification evidence.

Does IOSH Managing Safely count instead of SMSTS?

Not usually. IOSH Managing Safely is a general management course accepted across all industries, while SMSTS is the construction-specific scheme most principal contractors name in their own site requirements. If a contract or framework specifies SMSTS, an IOSH certificate will not satisfy it.

Can I take these courses online?

Site Safety Plus courses run in a classroom or as live tutor-led online sessions, and both lead to the same CITB certificate. They are not available as self-paced e-learning, because the assessment is invigilated. For the online route you will need a private room, photo ID and your webcam on throughout the exam.

Related