hat is the SEATS course?

Question Answer

SEATS (Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme) is a 1-day CITB Site Safety Plus course for site supervisors carrying the project’s environmental compliance duty. It covers waste management, pollution prevention, biodiversity, energy and the legal framework around environmental performance on UK construction sites.

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Key facts

SEATS = Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme.
1-day CITB Site Safety Plus course.
Built for site supervisors carrying environmental compliance duties on a construction project.
Covers waste management, pollution prevention, biodiversity, energy use and carbon, plus the legal framework around UK environmental performance.
End-of-course written assessment. CITB-issued certificate on passing.
Typically held alongside SSSTS or SMSTS, not instead of them.

What SEATS covers

The 1-day SEATS course is structured around the environmental issues a UK construction site supervisor has to manage day to day:

Environmental legislation. The Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Environmental Permitting Regulations, the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, and the duty of care that attaches to site waste.
Waste management. The waste hierarchy, segregation on site, hazardous waste routes, waste transfer notes and the consequences of non-compliance.
Pollution prevention. Spill prevention and response, water-course protection, drainage, dust and noise nuisance, and the Environment Agency’s expectations.
Biodiversity and protected species. Recognising protected habitats and species on site, the legal duties around them, and the practical steps a site team can take.
Energy, carbon and resources. Reducing energy use, fuel choices, and resource efficiency in construction operations.
The site supervisor’s daily environmental duty. Inspections, briefings, incident reporting and engaging the workforce on environmental compliance.

Each module includes case-study work and group exercises. The day ends with a written assessment that delegates must pass to be issued the CITB SEATS certificate.

Who SEATS is built for

SEATS is built for site supervisors and similar roles who carry environmental compliance as part of their day-to-day duty. That includes:

Environmental site supervisors and SHEQ supervisors.
Working site supervisors with a delegated environmental responsibility.
Site engineers covering environmental compliance on smaller projects.
Project managers wanting a working knowledge of the environmental side of the role.

SEATS is not a working operative course. New operatives are better served by the Health & Safety Awareness course. SEATS sits at the supervisor level alongside SSSTS, with SSSTS covering the safety duties and SEATS covering the environmental duties.

Why environmental competence matters on UK sites

Environmental incidents on construction sites carry three forms of consequence:

Regulatory. The Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency can issue enforcement notices, fines and prosecutions.
Commercial. Tier 1 main contractors and public-sector clients increasingly disqualify contractors with environmental incidents from tender lists. Some require evidence of supervisor-level environmental competence at pre-qualification.
Reputational. Pollution incidents, especially water-course pollution, attract local media attention and damage relationships with communities adjacent to the project.

SEATS gives the site supervisor the working knowledge to prevent the incidents in the first place and to respond correctly when they occur.

How SEATS fits alongside SSSTS, SMSTS and the wider SSP suite

SEATS is part of the Site Safety Plus suite but is structurally an environmental qualification rather than a safety qualification. Most SEATS holders also hold the safety qualification appropriate for their role:

SEATS + SSSTS – first-line supervisor with environmental responsibility.
SEATS + SMSTS – site manager with environmental responsibility.
SEATS standalone – environmental site supervisor whose primary duty is environmental compliance.

For Tier 1 main contractors and public-sector clients, SEATS is the standard environmental supervisor qualification across UK construction.

Refreshers and validity

SEATS does not have the same CITB-defined 5-year refresher cycle that SMSTS and SSSTS carry. Industry best practice is to retake SEATS every 3–5 years, particularly where environmental legislation has changed or the supervisor has moved to a project with a different environmental risk profile. Some Tier 1 main contractors specify a maximum age on the certificate at pre-qualification; check the project documents.

Quick answers to related questions

How long is the SEATS course?

1 day. CITB-accredited Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme, covering waste, pollution prevention, biodiversity, energy and the UK environmental legal framework. End-of-day written assessment.

Is SEATS the same as SSSTS?

No. SSSTS covers the supervisor’s safety duty. SEATS covers the supervisor’s environmental duty. They are separate qualifications and are typically held together by supervisors with both responsibilities.

Do I need SEATS as well as SMSTS?

If your site manager role includes environmental compliance, yes. SMSTS covers safety; SEATS covers environment. Many Tier 1 main contractors specify both at tender pre-qualification for project manager roles.

Last updated: 2026-05-21. Reviewed by the MPTT CITB Site Safety Plus training team, CITB-approved instructors.

Booking SEATS for an Environmental Supervisor?

Midland Plant Training & Testing delivers the 1-day CITB SEATS course at our accredited centre in Cannock and on client sites across England. For supervisors and project managers carrying environmental compliance as part of the day-to-day duty, SEATS is the standard CITB qualification across UK construction. Tell us the headcount and the deadline and we will book the next available date.

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