Course overview
Bristol has one of the busiest construction pipelines in the South West, and behind every site running in the city there is a manager carrying legal responsibility for how safely the work is done. The SMSTS course in Bristol is the recognised five-day qualification for that role. It gives site managers, project managers and business owners the health and safety knowledge, and the legal grounding, needed to plan, organise and control construction work to the standard main contractors and clients now expect across the region.
From the ongoing regeneration around Temple Quarter and the city centre to student accommodation and residential schemes across the wider urban area, commercial fit-out work, and the civils and infrastructure stretching out along the Severnside corridor towards Avonmouth, Bristol’s workload is varied and rarely stops for long. That variety is exactly why the CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme matters here. A site manager in Bristol might be running a tight city-centre plot one month and a spread-out civils job the next, and the SMSTS is built to give them the framework to manage risk consistently whatever the project throws at them.
Skills Training Group delivers the SMSTS as a live online class over Zoom, so managers working anywhere in Bristol and the South West can gain the full CITB qualification without leaving the region or losing a week to travel. As a CITB-approved training organisation with experienced construction trainers, we run the scheme to the same standard whether a delegate is based in central Bristol, out towards Avonmouth and Severnside, or further into the surrounding towns. This page explains who the course is for, how it runs, how the exam works and how to book, all grounded in what the qualification actually involves rather than sales talk.
It is worth saying up front what the SMSTS is not. It is not a card scheme, and it is not the same as the shorter supervisor course. It is the top of the CITB Site Safety Plus ladder, the qualification that clients and principal contractors look for in the person taking overall charge of a site. On a busy Bristol project, that manager is the one signing off risk assessments, running the induction, holding subcontractors to the method statement and answering to the client if something goes wrong. The SMSTS exists to make sure they understand exactly what that responsibility means in law and in practice.
Who the SMSTS course in Bristol is for
The SMSTS is aimed at anyone who plans, organises and controls construction work, or is about to step up into that responsibility. If you are the person accountable for how safely a site runs day to day, this is the qualification main contractors and clients will expect you to hold. It is a strong fit for:
- Site managers and site agents running construction projects in Bristol and the South West
- Project managers with responsibility for site health and safety
- Contracts managers overseeing multiple sites across the region
- Experienced site supervisors moving up from an SSSTS into a full management role
- Business owners and directors who oversee their own construction sites
- Anyone whose client or main contractor has asked for a current SMSTS certificate before they can take charge of a site
Many delegates come to us having just been handed their first management position on a Bristol site and needing the certificate to satisfy a client. Others are long-standing managers whose previous SMSTS is close to expiring. Either way, the course is pitched at the realities of managing construction work, not classroom theory, so experienced hands and newcomers both get value from it.
Ideally you will have some site experience behind you before taking the SMSTS, because a lot of the course asks you to apply the material to real management situations, and that is easier if you have already spent time on site. It is not a strict entry requirement, though. The one thing you do genuinely need is a good standard of spoken and written English, as the training, the course materials and the exam are all delivered in English and there is a written element to the assessment. If you are weighing up whether the course is the right level for you or for a member of your team, get in touch before booking and we will give you an honest steer.
What you will learn
Over the five days your CITB-approved tutor works through everything a site manager needs to understand to run a site safely and stay on the right side of the law. The training keeps circling back to how the knowledge applies on a real project rather than treating it as an exam to be memorised. In summary, the course covers:
- The manager’s legal responsibilities for health, safety and welfare on a construction site
- The Health and Safety at Work Act and the key supporting regulations that sit under it
- The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) and how they shape a manager’s duties
- Producing, communicating and monitoring risk assessments and method statements
- Managing high-risk activities such as work at height, excavations, confined spaces and lifting operations
- Controlling occupational health risks including dust, noise, vibration and manual handling
- Leading site inductions, toolbox talks and a positive safety culture across the workforce
- Monitoring subcontractors and keeping standards consistent across the whole site
The individual modules are listed separately, so the points above are a summary of the ground the course covers rather than a full syllabus breakdown. What ties it together is that the SMSTS treats the manager as the person who has to make the paperwork actually work on the ground, not just file it. A risk assessment that stays in the site file helps nobody; the course is about the manager who checks the control measures are genuinely in place, challenges bad practice when they see it and sets the tone for how the whole workforce approaches safety.
That emphasis matters on Bristol sites, where a single project can pull together several trades and subcontractors at once. Keeping everyone working to the same standard, from the groundworkers to the finishing trades, is a large part of what a site manager does, and the SMSTS gives you the legal and practical framework to do it with confidence rather than guesswork.
How the course runs
The SMSTS in Bristol runs over five consecutive midweek days, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 to 17:00 each day. It is delivered as a live online class over a Zoom video link, led in real time by an experienced CITB-approved trainer. You are not watching a recording or clicking through slides on your own; you are in a live, tutor-led session with other delegates, following exactly the same CITB syllabus and timetable as a classroom course.
The sessions are interactive throughout. You take part in discussion, work through practical scenarios and apply the learning to situations you will recognise from your own Bristol projects, and you can ask the tutor questions and talk through your own site issues as they come up. Because the five days run back to back, you cover the syllabus in a single focused week and come out the other side with the qualification rather than dragging it out over months.
To join the live online class you need a computer, laptop or tablet with a webcam and microphone, plus a reliable internet connection. Most managers join from a site office, the main office or home, wherever gives them a quiet enough spot to concentrate for the day.
Assessment and exam
To achieve the SMSTS qualification you need to attend all five days in full, take an active part in the exercises and discussions throughout the week, and pass the end-of-course exam. The exam is a mix of multiple-choice, multi-response and short written-answer questions, lasts approximately 30 minutes, and carries a pass mark of 81%.
Because the training is engaging and tied to real site situations all week, most delegates find the exam a fair reflection of what they have covered rather than a memory test, and your tutor supports you the whole way through. Skills Training Group’s SMSTS courses carry a 98.7% pass rate, which reflects both the quality of the trainers and the way the material is delivered.
If you want to see the style of questions before you sit the real thing, we have a free SMSTS practice test you can work through as many times as you like. Try the free SMSTS mock test to check your understanding and go into the exam with more confidence.
Why train online from Bristol
There is no physical training centre for this course, and that is deliberate rather than a compromise. Delivering the SMSTS as a live online class solves a real problem for Bristol site managers. A site does not pause easily, and losing your manager to travel on top of five training days is time and cost most firms would rather avoid. Learning online means you gain the full qualification from a site office, the main office or home, anywhere in Bristol or the wider South West with a stable connection, and you are back on site with far less disruption.
It is important to be clear that the online course is not a watered-down version. You sit exactly the same CITB syllabus over the same five days, with the same tutor-led delivery, the same exam and the same official CITB SMSTS certificate at the end. The only thing missing is the commute, the parking and the fuel. For managers working across the whole of Bristol and out into the Severnside area, or on projects towards Avonmouth, Portishead and the surrounding towns, that removes a real chunk of dead time from the week.
For employers with more than one manager to certify, the online format is especially efficient. You can put several people through their SMSTS in the same period without arranging travel or cover for long absences, and raise the standard of site management consistently across your Bristol projects. For a firm running several sites at once across the city and the wider South West, having every manager trained to the same standard, at the same time, is a practical way to keep your safety approach joined up rather than varying from job to job.
The five-day commitment is the same either way, but online delivery removes the extra day or two that travel to and from a fixed centre would otherwise add on top. For managers already stretched across live Bristol sites, keeping the qualification to a focused week they can plan around is often the difference between getting certified now and putting it off.
Certification and five-year validity
On passing the exam you are awarded the official CITB SMSTS certificate. It is recognised across the UK construction industry, so it will be accepted on sites in Bristol and anywhere else in the country, and it is routinely written into main-contractor prequalification and site induction requirements.
The certificate is valid for five years. To keep your qualification current you take the two-day SMSTS refresher before it expires, which updates you on any changes to legislation and best practice and renews the certificate for a further five years. It is worth noting your expiry date and booking the SMSTS refresher course in good time rather than letting the qualification lapse, because an expired certificate usually means sitting the full five-day course again.
CITB grant funding
The SMSTS is a CITB-approved course, so eligible employers may be able to claim a CITB grant towards the cost. If your business is registered with CITB and pays the levy, it is well worth checking what you can claim before you book, as it can bring the real cost of certifying your Bristol site managers down noticeably. For a firm putting several managers through the course, that support can make a meaningful difference to the overall training budget across the year.
Grants are administered by CITB directly rather than by us, so the exact amount and eligibility depend on your registration and their current funding rules. It is always worth confirming the position with CITB before you book so you know where you stand. Our team can point you in the right direction if you are not sure whether your grant claim applies, and we are happy to talk it through alongside dates and availability.
How to book your SMSTS course in Bristol
Booking your SMSTS course in Bristol is straightforward. The course is £430, which includes the tutor-led five-day training, your course materials and the end-of-course exam. Choose an upcoming date that suits you, reserve your place online, and you will receive joining instructions along with everything you need to prepare for the live sessions. We run the SMSTS regularly, so there is usually a start date within easy reach whether you need to get certified quickly or want to plan a quieter week around your Bristol site commitments.
You can book online at booking.skillstg.co.uk/course/SMSTS, or if you are booking for a team, or would like to talk through dates and availability, call our team on 0808 164 2780 and we will help you organise the right option for your business.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to travel to a venue in Bristol to take the SMSTS course?
No. The SMSTS is delivered as a live online class over a Zoom video link, so there is no training centre to travel to. You join from a site office, your main office or home anywhere in Bristol or the wider South West, as long as you have a device with a webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection. This saves you the travel time, parking and fuel on top of the five training days, and you still gain exactly the same CITB qualification.
How long is the SMSTS course and what are the timings?
The SMSTS runs over five consecutive midweek days, Monday to Friday, with each day starting at 8:30 and finishing at 17:00. All five days are led live by a CITB-approved trainer in real time, so you can ask questions and talk through your own Bristol site situations as you go.
How much does the SMSTS course cost in Bristol?
The live online SMSTS course is £430. That price includes the tutor-led five-day training, your course materials and the end-of-course exam, and it leads to the official CITB SMSTS certificate. If your business is registered with CITB, you may also be able to claim a grant towards the cost, so it is worth checking your eligibility before booking.
Will an SMSTS certificate be accepted on construction sites around Bristol?
Yes. The SMSTS is recognised across the UK construction industry, which of course includes sites throughout Bristol and the South West. It is the standard site management safety qualification that main contractors and clients ask for, and it is frequently written into prequalification and site induction requirements, so holding a current certificate is a straightforward way to show you can manage a site safely.
What is the difference between the SMSTS and the SSSTS?
The SMSTS is a five-day course for site managers who plan, organise and control whole sites, while the SSSTS is a two-day course for supervisors, gangers and first-line managers who run a gang or a work area and report to a site manager. If you are responsible for a whole site, the SMSTS is the qualification you need. If a Bristol contractor has asked for one or the other and you are unsure which, check their prequalification requirements or get in touch and we will point you to the right course.
What does the SMSTS exam involve and what is the pass mark?
The exam is a mix of multiple-choice, multi-response and short written-answer questions, takes around 30 minutes and has a pass mark of 81%. Because the training is interactive and tied to real site scenarios all week, most delegates find it a fair reflection of what they have covered. You can practise beforehand with our free SMSTS mock test, and our courses carry a 98.7% pass rate.
How do I renew my SMSTS certificate when it expires?
The SMSTS certificate is valid for five years. To keep it current you take the two-day SMSTS refresher course before your existing certificate expires, which brings you up to date with any changes in legislation and best practice and renews your qualification for another five years. It is worth booking the refresher in good time, because if you let the certificate lapse you generally have to sit the full five-day course again.
Give your site managers the recognised safety qualification that Bristol construction sites expect. Book your SMSTS course online at booking.skillstg.co.uk/course/SMSTS, or call our team on 0808 164 2780 to talk through dates, group bookings or CITB grant funding for your business.
Modules breakdown
Across the five days, your tutor works through the full CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme syllabus, blending live teaching with group discussions, case studies and daily knowledge checks. Every module is taught with the site manager’s responsibilities in mind, covering the following key areas:
Health and safety legislation
- Health and Safety at Work Act fundamentals and their implications for construction
- Environmental legislation affecting construction sites
- Recent developments and new guidance in safety regulations
- Responsibilities under relevant legislation, and industry best practice beyond the legal minimum
Risk management
- Conducting thorough risk assessments and implementing the necessary control measures
- Ensuring safe working practices across different site activities
- Managing common safety issues on construction sites
- Creating systems for continual safety awareness
Leadership and communication
- Developing a positive safety culture on site
- Techniques for communicating safety protocols effectively
- Engaging the workforce in health and safety initiatives
- Managing subcontractors and supporting site supervisors in their safety responsibilities
Practical site management
- Day-to-day safety management techniques
- Responding to incidents and near misses
- Documentation and record-keeping requirements
- Site inspections, audits, toolbox talks and safety briefings
Special site hazards
- Working at height safety protocols
- Plant and equipment safety
- Excavation and groundworks safety
- Managing hazardous substances
- Electrical safety on construction sites
You attend all five training days, take part in the group activities and knowledge checks, then sit the final exam. On passing, you receive the official CITB SMSTS certificate, valid for five years, which you keep current with the two-day SMSTS Refresher Course before it expires. If you supervise rather than manage a site, the two-day SSSTS course may be the better fit – our team can help you choose.
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