TWSTC Training (CITB) - Temporary Works Supervisor Training

Course Overview:

This one-day Temporary Works Supervisor Training Course (TWSTC) is designed to help those on site who have responsibility for supervising all forms of temporary works. The course seeks to improve the knowledge of this role and the temporary works environment.

The development of this course was supported by several organisations, including the Temporary Works forum and the Health and Safety Executive.

Temporary works are safety- and business-critical and require careful co-ordination. An accepted way of achieving this is through the adoption of the management process outlined in BS 5975:2019, which introduces the temporary works supervisor (TWS) as a key figure. This course explains the role and its overall management context.

Temporary works on both smaller and larger sites can be high risk activities. Therefore, understanding the essentials of good risk and safety management, as outlined in BS 5975:2019, is relevant for projects of all sizes.

The course gives emphasis throughout to the importance of communication, co-ordination, co-operation and competency (the 4Cs), risk management, safety and business relations, allowing the TWS to:

- understand the need for and duties of a TWS
- understand the role of others
- have a detailed knowledge and understanding of BS 5975 in respect of this role

Aims: 

The aim of this course is to focus on the risk management of temporary works with particular attention on the role of the TWS.

It seeks to consolidate and build on the risk-management knowledge that learners undertaking this role will have established through other experiences on site (likely in other supervisory or management roles) and focus on how to avoid failure in temporary works by adopting appropriate procedural controls, as outlined in BS 5975:2019.

Entry Requirements: 

There are no formal entry requirements for the TWSTC. Learners are expected to have a working knowledge of the following legislation:

- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) 2015
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
- The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992
- The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005

Assessment:

Successful completion of the course requires:

- Completing mandatory exercises
- Passing the trainer review
- Passing the end-of-course exam

Examination:

The paper consists of 22 questions, selected by CITB, covering all aspects of the course. This exam paper must be taken at the end of the course.

Each paper has:

- 19 multiple-choice and/or multiple-response questions 
- 3 free text questions (each worth two or three marks) 

The exam pass mark is 78% (21 out of 27 marks).

The exam lasts for 45 minutes and must be completed within this time under exam conditions. The examination is open book: learners are permitted to use their course workbook – which may include any notes made by the learner during the course – for the duration of the exam.

The exam paper forms part of the overall assessment as to whether the learner has successfully achieved the TWSTC.