CITB SMSTS Day Release - Site Management Safety Training Scheme

Course duration

5 days

Course details

Our CITB SMSTS Day Release course offers a flexible training route for site managers, supervisors, and those in leadership roles within construction. Instead of the traditional five-day block, this option allows you to complete the Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) across four or five weekly sessions, giving you time to apply learning between modules and manage ongoing work commitments.

This part-time SMSTS training is ideal for construction professionals who prefer a structured, weekly learning environment and need flexibility around project responsibilities.

This training is endorsed by BuildUK.

You gain a highly recognised qualification, which is valid for five years. To remain certified in this area, you will need to retake a course before the expiry date on your certificate, otherwise the full course will need to be retaken.

Who Is the SMSTS Day Release For?

This course is best suited for:

Site managers and supervisors balancing work and training
Team leaders on live construction projects
Individuals unable to commit to five consecutive days
Candidates progressing from CITB SSSTS

No previous qualifications are required, but a good understanding of written and spoken English is necessary.

Course Format & Structure

The day release format runs once per week (typically over four or five consecutive weeks), with each session covering critical elements of site health, safety, and environmental management. Topics include:

Legal and management duties of site managers
Risk assessments and method statements
CDM regulations and site organisation
Fire prevention, working at height, and occupational health
Environmental protection and sustainability on site

Each session builds on the last, providing time to reflect, revise, and prepare. The final session includes a multiple-choice exam.

Each delegate will receive the CITB Mandatory Publications (eBooks for virtual courses and hardcopy for face-to-face courses)

Construction site management delegate workbook (XA6)
Construction site safety – The comprehensive guide (GE700)

Course content

Day 1

Health and safety: facts and figures, accident prevention,
Health and Safety and The Manager: types of work, range of activities, the role of a manager, leadership styles, and the consequences of failing to manage health and safety.
Health and safety and the legal system in the UK: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Implementing Health & Safety Legislation.

Day 2

The Work at Height Regulations (WAH) 2005: scaffolding types, risk assessments, working at heights hazards, scaffold inspection, safety provisions (ladders, harness, fall arrest).
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) 2015: key regulations changes, the pre construction phase plan, construction phase plan and information on duty holders.
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations (PPER) 2022: key regulations changes, employee and employer responsibilities
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013: how to report injuries and the types of injuries and dangerous occurances
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 : first aid equipment, first aid staff and the HSE recommendations.

Day 3

Various other legislation: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 2002, The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 and Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005.
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012: what is it? Who is at risk? Asbestos-related diseases, Lead and Dust and Fumes
Waste and environmental management: Environmental Protection Act 1990 and The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011
Risk assessments and risk management: qualitative/quantitative, evaluating risks and control measures.
Effective communication
Leadership and worker engagement
Statuaatory forms, notices and registers

Day 4

Various other legislation: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998, and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998.
Construction hazards: The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 underground and overhead services, excavations, The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Occupational health: drugs and alcohol in the workplace and mental health awareness.

Day 5

Assessment & Certification

You are assessed on your involvement throughout the training and your performance on the four core exercises of the course, which are listed below:-

Implementing health and safety legislation
Managers and supervisors responsibilities
Construction site briefing
Construction site layout

There is an exam that lasts for 35 minutes and consists of 25 questions, covering all aspects of the course. The exam pass mark is 81% (26 out of 32).

Each exam paper has 18 multiple choice questions (each worth one mark) and 7 questions in multi-response or short written answer format (each worth two marks)

Delegates are permitted to use the Construction site safety – The comprehensive guide (GE700) publication and the Construction site management delegate workbook (XA6) for the last 15 minutes of the exam.

The exam must be taken at the end of the course.

On successful completion of the course and final assessment, delegates will be awarded the CITB SMSTS certificate, valid for five years. This qualification is widely recognised across the UK construction industry and is often a minimum requirement for site management roles.