SSSTS Training in Birmingham – £199 Live Online

Course overview

Ask any main contractor working across Birmingham and the West Midlands what they need from a site supervisor and health and safety competence sits near the top of the list. As sites get busier and clients tighten their pre-qualification checks, the person running a gang is expected to hold a recognised safety qualification — and for supervisors, first-line managers, and team leaders, that qualification is the CITB Site Supervisors’ Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS). Our SSSTS course is delivered as a live, two-day online video-link class, so supervisors right across the city and the wider region can qualify without losing time to travel or sitting in traffic on the way to a training centre.

This is a genuine classroom experience delivered remotely. You are taught in real time by a CITB-approved tutor, you can ask questions as they come up, and you work through the same material and the same assessment as a delegate sitting in a physical training room. The only difference is that you join from your home, your site office, or wherever suits — which for a working supervisor in Birmingham usually means far less disruption to the job.

Who the SSSTS course is for

The SSSTS is aimed squarely at the people who supervise work on site rather than manage the whole project. If you plan, organise, and oversee the day-to-day work of a team — and you are accountable for how safely that work is carried out — this is the course written for your role. It suits:

• Site supervisors and gangers taking charge of a work team
• First-line managers and team leaders with health and safety responsibilities
• Tradespeople and operatives stepping up into their first supervisory role
• Supervisors working in construction, civil engineering, and allied industries
• Those responsible for site inductions, toolbox talks, and monitoring safe working
• Anyone who needs to understand a supervisor’s legal duties for health and safety

If your role involves planning and controlling groups of workers across a whole project rather than supervising a single team, the five-day SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) is the more appropriate qualification. The SSSTS is the two-day scheme pitched at supervisory level, and for most first-line supervisors it is exactly the right place to start.

What the course covers

Over two days your tutor works through the health and safety knowledge a supervisor is expected to apply on site every day. The emphasis is practical: not law for its own sake, but understanding your responsibilities well enough to act on them with confidence. Key areas include:

• The supervisor’s legal responsibilities under health and safety law
• The Health and Safety at Work Act and the regulations that flow from it
• Risk assessments and method statements, and how to put them into practice
• Monitoring site activities and taking action when something is unsafe
• Carrying out effective site inductions and toolbox talks
• Building and reinforcing a positive health and safety culture within your team
• Communicating risk clearly to operatives and reporting concerns upward

The sessions are interactive by design. You will take part in discussion, work through realistic scenarios, and test your understanding as you go, so that the learning connects to the kind of situations you actually meet on a live site rather than staying abstract.

Course structure and assessment

The SSSTS is a two-day course delivered live online, running from 08:30 to 16:00 each day. That timing is deliberate: a 4pm finish gives supervisors a little more of the afternoon back, which can make a difference when you are trying to keep on top of a job while you train.

To achieve the qualification you need to:

• Attend both days in full and take part in the sessions
• Contribute to the discussions and practical exercises during the course
• Pass a short end-of-course assessment covering the material

Our SSSTS courses carry a 98% pass rate, which reflects both the quality of the tutoring and the interactive way the material is taught. On successful completion you receive the CITB Site Safety Plus SSSTS certificate, which is valid for five years. To renew it before it expires you complete a one-day SSSTS Refresher rather than sitting the full course again.

Entry requirements

There are no formal prerequisites and you do not need an existing safety qualification to attend. Because the course materials, the tutor-led sessions, and the assessment are all delivered in English, delegates do need a good standard of spoken and written English to take part fully and complete the assessment. Some construction experience is helpful and puts the content in context, but it is not mandatory.

For the online class you will need a computer, laptop, or tablet with a webcam and microphone — features that are built into most modern devices — and a reasonably stable internet connection. If you have ever joined a video call, you already have everything you need to take part. We provide clear joining instructions in advance and are on hand if you need any help getting set up.

Why train online from Birmingham

Birmingham and the wider West Midlands remain one of the most active construction regions in the country, with sustained demand for competent, qualified supervisors across housing, commercial, infrastructure, and fit-out work. That demand means supervisors often cannot easily afford whole days away from site to travel to and from a training venue.

Delivering the SSSTS as a live online class removes that problem. You get the same recognised qualification, taught by the same calibre of CITB-approved tutor, without the cost and lost time of travelling across the city or beyond. A supervisor in Erdington, Selly Oak, or Sutton Coldfield, or out towards Solihull, Wolverhampton, Walsall, or Coventry, all join the same virtual classroom on equal footing — there is no advantage to being near a particular building, because the classroom comes to you.

It is also a straightforward way for an employer to keep a team’s tickets in date. Rather than releasing supervisors one at a time to travel, you can book people onto live online dates that fit around the programme of works, keeping the site moving while your people get certified.

Pricing

The live online SSSTS course is £199 per delegate. If you would prefer a face-to-face classroom setting, a classroom option is also available at £279 per delegate. Both routes lead to exactly the same CITB SSSTS certificate and the same nationally recognised outcome — the choice comes down to how you prefer to learn. For most working supervisors in Birmingham, the online option is the more practical and cost-effective way to qualify.

How to book

Booking is simple. Choose an upcoming live online date that fits around your work, reserve your place, and you will receive joining instructions and your course materials ahead of the start. If you are arranging training for several supervisors, or you want advice on whether the SSSTS or the five-day SMSTS is the right fit for a particular role, get in touch and our team will point you in the right direction before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the SSSTS course?

The SSSTS is a two-day course. It runs live online from 08:30 to 16:00 on both days, finishing at 4pm. It should not be confused with the five-day SMSTS, which is the site management scheme aimed at those running whole projects.

Is the online SSSTS the same qualification as the classroom course?

Yes. Whether you attend the live online video-link class or the in-person classroom, you sit the same course, complete the same assessment, and receive the same CITB Site Safety Plus SSSTS certificate. Both are recognised across the UK construction industry.

Do I need to travel anywhere in Birmingham to attend?

No. The course is delivered live online, so you join from home, your site office, or anywhere with a suitable device and internet connection. That means supervisors from across Birmingham and the West Midlands can qualify without travelling to a training centre.

Is the SSSTS recognised by contractors and the CSCS scheme?

The SSSTS is recognised by CITB and the UK Contractors Group (UKCG), and it is a widely accepted supervisory safety qualification across the construction industry. It is the standard first-line supervisor certificate that main contractors across the West Midlands look for.

How long is the SSSTS certificate valid?

The certificate is valid for five years. To keep it in date you complete a one-day SSSTS Refresher course before it expires, rather than sitting the full two-day course again.

Do I need any qualifications or experience before booking?

No prior safety qualifications are required and construction experience, while helpful, is not mandatory. You do need a good standard of spoken and written English, as the course and its assessment are delivered in English.

What is the difference between the SSSTS and the SMSTS?

The SSSTS is a two-day course for supervisors and first-line managers who oversee a team. The SMSTS is a five-day course for site managers responsible for planning and controlling work across a whole project. If you supervise a gang or trade package, the SSSTS is almost always the right course for you.

Modules breakdown

Our comprehensive SSSTS training covers the following key areas:

Health and Safety Law

• Current legislation affecting construction supervision
• Legal responsibilities of supervisors on site
• Understanding Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) requirements
• Health and safety regulations specific to construction activities
• Consequences of non-compliance for individuals and companies

Risk Management

• Principles of risk assessment
• Understanding and implementing method statements
• Delivering method statement briefings for workers
• Managing common site hazards effectively
• Control measures for various construction activities
• Managing hazardous substances

Supervisory Responsibilities

• The supervisor’s role in safety management
• Building and maintaining a positive safety culture
• Identifying and addressing bad practice
• Effective communication techniques
• Managing subcontractors and visitors
• Conducting site inductions and safety briefings

Practical Safety Management

• Planning for site safety
• Conducting effective toolbox talks
• Safety inspection procedures
• Accident reporting and investigation
• Record-keeping requirements
• Promoting safety awareness among workers

Health and Wellbeing

• Occupational health concerns in construction
• Behavioural safety approaches
• Managing workplace stress
• Noise, vibration and dust exposure
• Manual handling best practices
• Worker welfare requirements

Environmental Issues

• Environmental responsibilities on site
• Waste management and reduction
• Energy efficiency considerations
• Pollution prevention
• Sustainable construction practices
• Regulatory compliance

Course Structure

The CITB SSSTS course is delivered over two consecutive days through our professional remote learning platform:

• Led by experienced instructors with extensive construction backgrounds
• Interactive sessions with fellow construction professionals
• Comprehensive digital training materials provided
• Practical scenarios and case studies
• Group discussions and knowledge-sharing opportunities

Full attendance across both days is required to qualify for the examination. The course combines theoretical knowledge with practical application to ensure relevance to daily supervisory duties.