5- Day SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) Course

This 5 day Site Management Safety Training Scheme course is intended for project managers, site managers and site supervisors.

The CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) is a comprehensive five-day accredited course designed for site managers, project managers, and individuals who have, or are about to acquire, management responsibilities within the construction industry. This course is endorsed by Build UK as the standard training for all construction managers working on construction sites across the UK.

The SMSTS course provides managers with an in-depth understanding of their legal, moral, and social responsibilities for health, safety, welfare, and environmental protection on construction sites. It covers all relevant legislation and best practices that affect safe working in the building, construction, and civil engineering industries, including new build, refurbishment, and demolition projects.

The course emphasises the critical role of site managers in planning, organising, monitoring, controlling, and administering groups of staff and workforce. Delegates will learn that effective health and safety management is fundamental to creating sites that are not only safe but also efficient, economical, productive, and environmentally responsible. The training highlights the importance of risk assessment, implementation of control measures, and the development of strong leadership skills to promote worker engagement and sustain a robust health and safety culture.

Upon successful completion, delegates will receive a CITB Site Safety Plus certificate, valid for five years.

By the end of the CITB SMSTS course, delegates will be able to:

Legal Responsibilities and Management Structure

• Implement health and safety legislation - Manage and implement all health, safety, welfare, and environmental legislation affecting daily work in accordance with current legal provisions
• Apply CDM Regulations - Understand responsibilities under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and how they support effective site management
• Understand the Health and Safety at Work Act - Explain the legal framework established by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and its application to construction management
• Develop accountability - Recognise personal responsibility and accountability for site health, safety, welfare, and environmental protection
• Understand management hierarchies - Describe how the site manager's role fits within the overall management structure for controlling site operations

Risk Management and Safe Systems of Work

• Conduct comprehensive risk assessments - Carry out detailed risk assessments and understand the hierarchy of control measures
• Develop method statements - Produce robust method statements and safe systems of work that comply with legal requirements
• Apply principles of prevention - Understand and implement the principles of prevention in workplace risk management
• Monitor risk controls - Evaluate the effectiveness of control measures and make necessary adjustments
• Identify workplace hazards - Systematically identify and assess hazards specific to construction sites, including working at height, excavations, electricity, demolition, confined spaces, and scaffolding

Leadership and Communication

• Lead by example - Demonstrate effective leadership to promote a positive health and safety culture across construction teams
• Conduct site inductions - Develop and deliver comprehensive site inductions for new workers, visitors, and subcontractors
• Deliver effective briefings - Prepare and present construction site briefings, toolbox talks, and method statement briefings
• Promote worker engagement - Explain how good leadership and active worker engagement protects the workforce and improves productivity
• Manage subcontractors - Understand requirements for managing contractors and subcontractors effectively, ensuring compliance with site safety standards
• Develop communication strategies - Implement adequate communication methods to sustain a health and safety culture among the workforce

Monitoring, Intervention and Reporting

• Monitor site activities - Plan, monitor, and organise site activities in line with legal requirements and industry best practice
• Carry out inspections - Understand how to complete statutory inspections and checks required for construction sites
• Recognise bad practice - Identify unsafe working practices and understand the importance of timely intervention
• Implement corrective action - Take appropriate and immediate action when health and safety issues are identified
• Report incidents and ill health - Describe how to properly report accidents, injuries, ill health, and dangerous occurrences within the construction industry
• Manage emergency procedures - Build confidence in managing site hazards and emergency procedures effectively

Health, Welfare and Environmental Management

• Protect workforce health and welfare - Explain how to safeguard the physical and mental health and welfare of workers on construction sites
• Implement environmental controls - Recognise environmental and sustainability responsibilities within site management
• Develop management systems - Describe how to develop, maintain, and monitor effective health and safety management systems
• Address occupational health - Understand occupational health issues relevant to construction, including exposure to hazardous substances, noise, vibration, and manual handling
• Ensure welfare facilities - Recognise the requirements for adequate welfare facilities on construction sites

Strategic Management and Continuous Improvement

• Implement new guidance - Apply updated legislation and industry best practice as it emerges
• Improve safety performance - Develop knowledge and understanding to maintain and improve safe working practices continuously
• Contribute to site efficiency - Understand that a safe site is efficient, economical, and productive, benefiting employers and helping to secure future contracts
• Plan for health and safety - Integrate health and safety planning into all aspects of construction project management
• Promote behavioural safety - Recognise the importance of behavioural safety and how to motivate positive safety behaviour among the workforce
• Understand site layout - Apply health and safety principles to site layout planning and organization

Professional Development and Career Progression

• Manage with confidence - Develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to effectively manage construction sites in compliance with all legal requirements
• Apply practical solutions - Use real-world examples and case studies to apply learning directly to work environments
• Demonstrate competence - Prove competence as a construction site manager through successful completion of assessments
• Build on existing knowledge - Enhance existing health and safety knowledge to management level (previous safety knowledge recommended)