What is CITB Site Safety Plus (SSP)?

Key facts

• SSP is the CITB’s suite of health and safety courses for UK construction.
• It covers seven distinct courses, each mapped to a specific site role.
• SMSTS, SSSTS and SEATS sit at the supervisor and manager level. Health & Safety Awareness sits at the operative level. The Director’s Role sits at board level. TWS and TWC cover temporary works.
• SMSTS and SSSTS certificates are valid for 5 years; refreshers are 2 days (SMSTS) and 1 day (SSSTS).
• CITB Levy-registered employers can usually grant-recover most SSP training.
• SSP courses are designed to support compliance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

What does CITB Site Safety Plus cover?

Site Safety Plus is structured around the chain of responsibility on a UK construction site. Each course is built for a specific role and authority level, so the workforce holds the right qualification for the duty it carries. The full suite covers seven courses:

• Health & Safety Awareness (HSA) – 1 day. For new operatives entering construction.
• SSSTS (Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme) – 2 days. For first-line supervisors and team leaders.
• SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) – 5 days. For site managers, agents and project managers.
• SEATS (Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme) – 1 day. Environmental supervisor-level training.
• TWS (Temporary Works Supervisor) – 2 days. Supervises temporary works under BS 5975.
• TWC (Temporary Works Coordinator) – 2 days. Coordinates temporary works under BS 5975.
• Director’s Role for Health & Safety – 1 day. For company directors and senior managers.

Who runs the SSP programme?

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) owns and accredits the Site Safety Plus programme. CITB writes the syllabus, sets the assessment criteria and licenses approved training providers to deliver the courses. The CITB SSP framework is recognised across UK construction and is the qualification most main contractors and site agents expect to see when checking a supervisor or manager’s competence. MPTT is a CITB-approved provider and delivers the full SSP suite at our accredited centre and on client sites across England.

Why does SSP matter for compliance?

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 place a duty on employers to ensure workers are competent for the tasks they carry out. SSP is the recognised training framework that underpins that competence in UK construction. Holding the right SSP qualification for the role is the standard way to evidence that duty at audit, on tender pre-qualification documents (PQQs) and during HSE inspections. Without it, supervisors and managers can be turned away at site induction even with years of experience.

How do the courses fit together?

The SSP courses are not interchangeable. A site manager cannot run a site on an SSSTS; a supervisor cannot satisfy the site manager duty with an SSSTS alone. The progression is structured:

• New operatives attend the 1-day HSA course before going on site.
• First-line supervisors (gangers, foremen, team leaders) hold the 2-day SSSTS.
• Site managers, agents and project managers hold the 5-day SMSTS.
• Temporary works staff hold TWS or TWC depending on whether they supervise or coordinate.
• Environmental supervisors hold the 1-day SEATS.
• Company directors attend the 1-day Director’s Role course to evidence board-level safety competence.

Operators on plant should also hold a current CPCS or NPORS plant card alongside the relevant SSP qualification for their site role.

Certificate validity and refreshers

Both SMSTS and SSSTS certificates are valid for 5 years. Within that 5-year window the holder must complete a refresher to keep the qualification current. The refreshers are 2 days for SMSTS and 1 day for SSSTS. If a refresher is missed and the certificate lapses past expiry, the holder is required to retake the full course. Book the refresher early in the final year of validity so any scheduling issues can be cleared without the certificate lapsing.

CITB Levy and grant recovery

If your company pays the CITB Levy, most SSP training is grant-recoverable. Grant rates are published annually by CITB and depend on the course and the duration. The grant is paid to the employer, not to MPTT. We issue the achievement documentation the CITB needs to release the grant. For Levy-registered employers running supervisors and managers through the SSP suite in volume, the grant materially reduces the net cost of the programme.

Related questions

• What’s the difference between SMSTS and SSSTS?
• Who needs SMSTS vs the Black Manager CSCS card / NVQ route?
• What is the CITB HS&E Test and how does it relate to SSP?
• What is the TWS and TWC course?
• What is the Director’s Role for Health & Safety course?

Quick answers to related questions

What’s the difference between SMSTS and SSSTS?

SMSTS is the 5-day course for site managers, agents and project managers. SSSTS is the 2-day course for first-line supervisors, gangers and team leaders. Both certificates are valid for 5 years.

How long is the SMSTS certificate valid for?

The SMSTS certificate is valid for 5 years. To keep it current you must complete the 2-day SMSTS Refresher within the 5-year window. Refreshers run past expiry require the full 5-day course again.

What is the CITB HS&E Test and how does it pair with SSP?

The CITB HS&E Test is a 45-minute touch-screen assessment delivered at any approved CITB centre. It is the prerequisite for most CSCS-recognised cards. SSP courses such as SMSTS and SSSTS do not require the HS&E Test to attend, but the card application that follows usually does.

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