Get qualified with a CITB SSSTS course.

The SSSTS is a popular course, endorsed by the United Kingdom Contractors Group (UKCG). This means supervisors looking for a role with large UK contractors often go for this course. However, a common issue with the SSSTS is that candidates can confuse it with the other CITB SSP (Site Safety Plus) courses such as the SMSTS. The SMSTS is a longer five day course and is designed specifically, for site managers and those that are responsible for keeping to the CDM (Although CDM coordinators often do an additional course to ensure they are up to speed). The SSSTS is designed for those candidates in charge of a team of workers, rather than a whole site. It is a shorter course, with the full course lasting two days. It covers in detail, issues that are relevant to the supervisors role. 

Candidates on the SSSTS course can expect to cover some or all of the following issues: The Role of the supervisor, UK legislation including criminal and civil law and health and safety regulations, the Health and Safety at Work Act, identifying hazards, assessing risk, method statements, preventing risk, how to assess the success of health and safety measures, permits, occupational health – noise, vibration, air and breathing: including the different types of asbestos and asthma, awareness of drug and alcohol use, skin conditions, fire regulations, control, fire prevention, COSHH, CDM, PPE, manual handling and first aid. 

Many SSSTS courses also include how deal effectively with two areas of possible concern for supervisors- tool box talks and interventions. Some include training on how to plan, deliver and deal with questioning in tool box talks, designed to increase the candidates confidence and making them more effective. Additionally some courses provide advice on how to manage  workers and situations where the health and safety guidelines are not being adhered to. 

The SSSTS course is assessed by a written multiple choice test, lasting 30 minutes. Candidates must get 72% or above to pass this. Candidates must also attend the full two days to pass.

A new development in the area of site supervisor training is the SSSTS refresher course. This is a shorter version, lasting one day. The aim of this course is to update candidates who already hold the full SSSTS with new developments in health and safety within the industry. The refresher course allows those who hold a full SSSTS to save time and money. But it is important to remember that candidate’s full SSSTS course must be within the grace period set by the CITB,  (6 months) to be allowed onto a refresher.