SSSTS · Site Management & Supervision
Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS)
The standard supervisor course for UK construction. Covers what a supervisor is responsible for on site and how to deal with it day to day.
KVK books through approved training providers and confirms the centre, date and location with you before anything is finalised.
- Duration
- 2 days
- Delivery
- Classroom / Online
- Certification
- CITB Site Safety Plus
- Certificate validity
- 5 years
- Locations
- Dates across the UK
- Price
- Price confirmed on booking
About the SSSTS course
The Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) is the CITB Site Safety Plus course for anyone who supervises other people on a construction site. It is the qualification most principal contractors ask for before they will let a supervisor, gang leader or chargehand take charge of a work area.
Over two days the course works through the health and safety law a supervisor is accountable for, then spends most of its time on the practical side of the role: reading and applying risk assessments and method statements, running inductions and toolbox talks, spotting unsafe behaviour early and knowing when to stop work. It is taught around real site situations rather than legislation for its own sake.
Assessment is continuous, alongside a short end-of-course test. Pass and CITB issues a Site Safety Plus certificate valid for five years, after which a one-day SSSTS refresher keeps it current. KVK books SSSTS through approved CITB centres across the UK, in the classroom or live online, and confirms your dates with a person rather than a stale calendar.
Who this course is for
- Site supervisors
- Gang leaders
- Chargehands
- Workers moving into supervision
What the course covers
The SSSTS syllabus is set by CITB, so the content is the same at every approved centre. What follows is what each part of the course actually means for a supervisor on site.
- Health and safety law and the supervisor's duties
- Risk assessments and method statements in practice
- Site inductions, briefings and toolbox talks
- Behavioural safety and supervising a workforce
- Occupational health, and common site hazards
Health and safety law and the supervisor's duties
Where a supervisor sits under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015, what "so far as is reasonably practicable" means in practice, and where your personal responsibility begins and ends.
Risk assessments and method statements in practice
How to read a RAMS properly, check it matches the job in front of you, brief it to a gang and escalate it when site conditions have changed.
Site inductions, briefings and toolbox talks
Delivering inductions and toolbox talks that people actually take in, keeping records that stand up to an audit, and handling language or literacy barriers.
Behavioural safety and supervising a workforce
Why people take shortcuts, how to challenge unsafe behaviour without losing the crew, and using your authority to stop work when it is warranted.
Occupational health and common site hazards
Dust, noise, vibration, manual handling and working at height — recognising the risks that cause long-term harm as well as the ones that cause immediate injury.
Monitoring, reporting and accident investigation
Site inspections, near-miss and accident reporting, RIDDOR awareness and the supervisor's part in an investigation.
Entry requirements
No formal qualifications. A reasonable standard of spoken and written English is needed.
Available dates
Book your course here and KVK checks live availability across our approved training providers, then confirms the nearest suitable date and venue with you — usually the same working day. Tell us the week and the location you need.
SSSTS vs SMSTS
SSSTS and SMSTS are both CITB Site Safety Plus courses and both certificates last five years. The difference is the level of responsibility they are written for, so pick the one that matches the role rather than the longer course by default.
| Aspect | SSSTS | SMSTS |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Supervisors, gang leaders, chargehands and foremen | Site managers, project managers, agents and contracts managers |
| Length | 2 days | 5 days, or one day a week over five weeks |
| Focus | Supervising a work area and a gang day to day | Planning, managing and controlling the whole site |
| Certificate | CITB Site Safety Plus, valid 5 years | CITB Site Safety Plus, valid 5 years |
| Refresher | 1-day SSSTS refresher | 2-day SMSTS refresher |
Group and company SSSTS bookings
If you need several supervisors trained, a closed SSSTS course is usually the simpler option. We arrange group bookings through approved centres and can run the course at a venue near your project, or on your own site where you have a suitable room.
- Closed courses for your own team, with dates built around your programme
- On-site delivery where the room and facilities allow
- Live online delivery for supervisors spread across different sites
- One point of contact at KVK for joining instructions, registers and certificates
- We track certificate expiry dates and prompt you before supervisors fall out of ticket
SSSTS questions
Can I do SSSTS online?
How long is an SSSTS certificate valid?
Do I need SSSTS or SMSTS?
Are there entry requirements for SSSTS?
What happens if I fail the SSSTS test?
Is SSSTS the same as a CSCS card?
Can you run SSSTS for a group on our site?
How quickly can I get a place?
SSSTS
Price confirmed on booking