Course overview
Glasgow carries more construction activity than any other city in Scotland, and the people running its sites carry the responsibility that comes with it. From the commercial developments reshaping the city centre and the Clyde waterfront to build-to-rent and student accommodation schemes, hospital and university estate work, and the long-running regeneration of the East End, the city keeps a steady pipeline of projects on the go. Every one of them needs a competent site manager, and on most of them the principal contractor will not hand over the keys to anyone who cannot produce a current SMSTS certificate.
The CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) is the qualification that proves you can carry that responsibility. It is the recognised standard for site managers, project managers, and anyone with overall charge of construction work, and it is named as a requirement in the pre-qualification paperwork of main contractors working across Glasgow, the wider Clyde valley, and the rest of the UK. Whether you are managing a refurbishment in the Merchant City, a housing development in the suburbs, or civils work along the M8 corridor, the SMSTS is the certificate the client expects to see before you take charge of the site.
It is not a box-ticking exercise either. The person running a Glasgow site deals with the same hard realities as a manager anywhere in the UK: subcontractors arriving with their own methods, weather that turns an access route into a hazard overnight, deliveries and plant movements through tight urban streets, and a workforce that looks to one person to set the standard. The SMSTS exists because the law places clear duties on that person, and because knowing those duties, and how to discharge them day to day, is what separates a site that runs safely from one that runs on luck.
Skills Training Group delivers the five-day SMSTS as a live online course over Zoom, priced at £430. There is no venue to travel to: you train in real time with an experienced CITB-approved tutor from your home, your site cabin, or your office, anywhere in Glasgow or the surrounding towns with a decent internet connection. You finish with exactly the same CITB certificate as a classroom delegate, without losing a week to commuting across the city on top of the course itself.
Who the SMSTS course is for
The SMSTS is aimed at the people who carry overall responsibility for a construction site, rather than those who supervise a single gang or work area. It is the management-level counterpart to the two-day SSSTS, and on Glasgow projects it is typically the qualification asked of the person whose name is on the site paperwork. It is the right course for:
- Site managers and site agents running live construction projects
- Project managers with responsibility for health and safety on site
- Experienced site supervisors stepping up into a site management role
- Business owners and directors of contracting firms who oversee their own sites
- Construction professionals who need SMSTS to satisfy a principal contractor or client requirement
Plenty of delegates on our courses are Glasgow tradespeople who have grown into management by degrees: first running a squad, then a phase of works, and now a whole site. If that is you, the SMSTS is the point where your responsibilities are formalised. It gives you the legal knowledge to match the practical experience you already have, and it gives the contractors you work for the evidence they need that the site is in competent hands.
You do not need a formal qualification to book. You will get the most from the course if you have some experience on construction sites, because the material is taught through the decisions a manager actually makes, and delegates who can relate it to real projects tend to find the week easier. You will also need a good standard of spoken and written English, as the course and the exam are both delivered in English.
What you’ll learn
The SMSTS covers the full breadth of a site manager’s health and safety responsibilities. Over the five days you work through the legal framework that governs construction in the UK, including the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, and what those duties mean in practice for the person in charge of a site. You learn how to plan and manage risk: writing and reviewing risk assessments and method statements, setting up safe systems of work, and making sure what is written in the site file actually happens on the ground.
The course then moves through the high-risk activities that cause the majority of serious incidents on site, including working at height, excavations, demolition, confined spaces, scaffolding, and electrical safety, alongside occupational health and behavioural safety. The emphasis throughout is on management: not just knowing what the rules are, but knowing how to organise a site, brief a workforce, monitor the work, and step in when something is not right. A full module-by-module breakdown is listed further down this page.
The teaching is interactive rather than a week of slides. Your tutor works through case studies, group exercises, and discussion, and you are encouraged to bring the situations you meet on your own Glasgow sites into the room. By the end of the week the aim is that you can walk back onto your project and apply what you have learned the same day.
How the course runs
The SMSTS runs over five consecutive midweek days, Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 5:00pm. Full attendance on all five days is a CITB requirement, so it is worth clearing the week of site commitments before you book rather than trying to juggle both.
Delivery is live online via Zoom. This is not a pre-recorded e-learning package you click through on your own: it is a real class, taught in real time by a qualified tutor who is present throughout the week to explain, answer questions, and work through exercises with the group. You see and hear the tutor, they see and hear you, and you take part in the same discussions and group activities you would in a physical classroom. Delegates join from across the UK, which means a Glasgow site manager often ends up comparing notes with counterparts from very different projects, and that mix of experience is one of the strengths of the format.
The technical requirements are modest. You need a computer, laptop, or tablet with a webcam and microphone, and a reliable internet connection. If you have ever joined a Zoom call, you are ready. We send clear joining instructions before the course starts, and our team is on hand to help if you have any trouble getting set up on the first morning. Course materials are provided for you to keep and refer back to on site.
Assessment and the SMSTS exam
To achieve the qualification you must attend all five days in full, take part in the exercises and discussions, and pass the end-of-course exam. The exam is made up of multiple-choice, multi-response, and short written-answer questions, it lasts approximately 30 minutes, and the pass mark is 81%.
That sounds demanding on paper, but the course is built to get you through it. The material is taught, revisited, and reinforced across the week rather than crammed at the end, and your tutor’s job is to make sure the whole group genuinely understands the content before exam day. Skills Training Group delegates achieve a 98.7% pass rate on the SMSTS, which reflects how the week is taught.
If you want to gauge where you stand before the course, or check your readiness during the week, you can try our free SMSTS mock test. It uses the same question styles as the real exam and is a useful way to find any weak spots while there is still time to work on them.
Why train online from Glasgow
We are straightforward about this: our SMSTS course has no physical venue in Glasgow or anywhere else. It is delivered entirely online, and for a five-day management course that is a genuine advantage rather than a compromise.
Consider what attending a fixed training centre for a week actually involves. Five days of crossing the city in peak traffic, whether that is fighting along the M8, queuing through the Clyde Tunnel, or circling for parking near a city-centre venue. Delegates coming in from Paisley, Clydebank, East Kilbride, Motherwell, Hamilton, or Cumbernauld add a commute to both ends of an already long training day. By Friday you have spent hours travelling that added nothing to your qualification.
Training online removes all of that. You log in at 8:30 from wherever suits you, whether that is your kitchen table in the Southside, a quiet room in the site offices, or your company’s base anywhere in the west of Scotland. There are no travel costs, no parking, no hotel for delegates coming from further afield, and no dead time. Firms putting several managers through the course at once find it particularly practical, because staff spread across different Glasgow sites can attend the same class without everyone converging on one location.
None of this changes what you walk away with. The live online SMSTS leads to the same official CITB certificate as any classroom course, and it is accepted by principal contractors in Glasgow and across the UK on exactly the same terms. CITB approves the delivery method, the tutor is CITB-approved, the exam is the same, and the certificate does not distinguish between online and classroom study. You also train alongside delegates from across the country, which broadens the discussion well beyond what a single local classroom usually offers.
Certification and five-year validity
On successful completion you receive the official CITB SMSTS certificate, recognised across the UK construction industry. For site managers in Glasgow it is the piece of paper that satisfies principal contractors, clients, and pre-qualification questionnaires that you hold the recognised management-level safety qualification.
The certificate is valid for five years from the date of issue. Before it expires you can renew it by completing the shorter CITB SMSTS refresher course, which updates your knowledge on changes in legislation and industry practice and extends your certification for a further five years. It is worth putting the expiry date in your calendar well in advance: if the certificate lapses, the refresher route closes and you would need to sit the full five-day course again. A surprising number of managers get caught out by this, and it is an expensive diary mistake to make.
CITB grant funding
If your employer is registered for the CITB Levy, the company may be eligible to claim a CITB grant towards the cost of the course. For Glasgow contractors putting one or more managers through the SMSTS, the grant makes a meaningful dent in the training budget, and claiming it is straightforward: eligibility is based on the employer’s levy registration, and the grant is paid to the employer after the course is completed. If you are unsure whether your company qualifies or how the process works, call our team on 0808 164 2780 before booking and we will point you in the right direction.
How to book your SMSTS course
Booking takes a few minutes. You can view upcoming SMSTS course dates and book online, or call our team free on 0808 164 2780 if you would rather book by phone, ask about group bookings, or check which dates have availability. Because the course runs over five consecutive weekdays, popular dates fill up, and demand from Glasgow and the west of Scotland is consistently strong, so booking ahead is the surest way to get the week that suits your project programme.
If you are weighing up whether the SMSTS is the right level for you, or comparing it against the two-day SSSTS for a member of your team, you can find the full course details on our main CITB SMSTS course page, or simply give us a call and talk it through with someone who knows both courses well.
Frequently asked questions
Is the online SMSTS certificate accepted on Glasgow construction sites?
Yes. The live online course leads to the same official CITB SMSTS certificate as any classroom course, and the certificate itself makes no distinction between the two. Principal contractors and clients on Glasgow sites accept it as evidence of management-level health and safety competence, exactly as they do anywhere else in the UK.
Do I need to travel anywhere in Glasgow to attend?
No. The course is delivered entirely live online via Zoom, so there is no venue, no commute, and no parking to think about. You can attend from home or from your site office anywhere in Glasgow, or from the surrounding towns such as Paisley, East Kilbride, Motherwell, or Clydebank, provided you have a suitable device and a reliable internet connection.
Will Glasgow employers and main contractors recognise the qualification?
Yes. The SMSTS is the recognised management-level safety qualification across the UK construction industry, and contractors operating in Glasgow routinely require it for anyone taking charge of a site. Skills Training Group is a CITB-approved training organisation, and the certificate you receive is the official CITB SMSTS certificate that employers and pre-qualification schemes ask for.
How long does the SMSTS course take?
The course runs over five consecutive midweek days, Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 5:00pm. Full attendance on all five days is required to sit the exam and gain the qualification, so you should set the whole week aside clear of site commitments.
How much does the SMSTS course cost?
The live online SMSTS course costs £430. Course materials are included, and because there is no venue you have no travel, parking, or accommodation costs on top. Employers registered for the CITB Levy may also be able to claim a CITB grant towards the course cost.
What is the SMSTS exam like?
The exam sits at the end of the five days and is made up of multiple-choice, multi-response, and short written-answer questions. It lasts approximately 30 minutes and the pass mark is 81%. The course prepares you thoroughly for it, and our delegates achieve a 98.7% pass rate. You can also try our free SMSTS mock test online to check your readiness.
What is the difference between SMSTS and SSSTS?
The SMSTS is the five-day course for site managers, project managers, and others with overall responsibility for a construction site. The SSSTS is a two-day course for site supervisors and first-line managers who oversee a team or work area under a site manager. If you run the site, SMSTS is the qualification you need; if you supervise a section of it, SSSTS is usually the right level.
Ready to get qualified? Book your live online SMSTS course today or call our friendly team free on 0808 164 2780, and train for the certificate Glasgow’s construction industry asks its site managers to hold, without leaving the city to do it.
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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