SMSTS Refresher vs Full Course
If you’re looking to complete SMSTS training, whether you need the full course or refresher depends on your previous training. The full SMSTS is for people taking the course for the first time or whose certificate has expired. The refresher is for existing SMSTS certificate holders who need to renew before their certificate expires.
SMSTS stands for Site Management Safety Training Scheme and forms part of CITB’s Site Safety Plus training. It’s aimed at people with responsibility for managing construction sites and is endorsed by Build UK as the standard training for construction managers.
What’s the difference between SMSTS and the SMSTS Refresher?
Both courses cover health and safety management on construction sites, but they serve different purposes.
Full SMSTS
- Takes five days to complete
- Suitable if you’re new to SMSTS or your previous certificate has expired
- Covers site management responsibilities, legislation, risk assessment and safe working practices in depth
- Leads to a CITB Site Safety Plus certificate valid for five years
SMSTS Refresher
- Takes two days to complete
- Only available if you already hold a valid SMSTS certificate
- Revisits key knowledge and covers changes to legislation, guidance and working practices
- Renews your certification for another five years
Who should take the full SMSTS course?
The full course is designed for people who manage or are preparing to manage health and safety on construction sites. This includes project managers, site managers, supervisors, business owners and clients.
Across the five days, you’ll look at areas including the Health and Safety at Work Act, CDM Regulations, risk assessments, method statements, working at height, excavations and occupational health. The course also covers how managers can apply these requirements in day-to-day site operations.
Who can take the SMSTS Refresher?
You can take the refresher if you hold a valid SMSTS or SMSTS Refresher certificate. Timing matters here. You must complete the refresher before your existing certificate expires. If you miss that deadline, you’ll need to complete the full five-day SMSTS course again.
Rather than starting from scratch, the refresher builds on what you already know. It covers recent developments in construction, along with changes to legislation, industry guidance and best practice.
How are the courses assessed?
Pragmatic Consulting delivers both courses live online via Zoom so that you can complete your training remotely. The full course runs over five days, while the refresher takes two.
Both courses assess your involvement during the training and your performance in four core exercises. You’ll also sit a 35-minute CITB exam containing 25 questions covering the course content.
SMSTS Refresher or full course: which do I need?
The simplest way to choose is to check your current SMSTS status:
- Never completed SMSTS? Take the full course
- Certificate already expired? Take the full course
- Valid certificate due for renewal? Take the refresher
If you’re approaching your expiry date, don’t leave your refresher booking until after it passes.
Book your SMSTS training
Pragmatic Consulting offers both the full five-day SMSTS and two-day SMSTS Refresher live online. Choose the course that matches your current certification and book a date that works for you.
