Is my SMSTS still valid? Renewing SMSTS and SSSTS

Your SMSTS or SSSTS certificate is valid for five years. To keep it current, you take a shorter refresher course before it runs out. Leave it too late and you'll have to take the full course again, which means more days away from site.

Is my SMSTS still valid?

It is if the expiry date printed on your certificate hasn't passed. SMSTS and SSSTS certificates last five years, so if you passed more than five years ago and haven't taken a refresher since, it has expired. If you can't find the certificate, your employer's training records may have it, or CITB can confirm it. Put the date in your diary, with a reminder a few months before it.

The refresher courses

• SMSTS Refresher: two days, ending in an exam, for site managers whose SMSTS certificate is due to expire.
• SSSTS Refresher: one day, ending in an exam, for supervisors whose SSSTS certificate is due to expire.

Both cover what has changed in law and guidance since you last trained, and go back over the core duties of your role. Pass, and you receive a new certificate valid for another five years.

What to expect on the day

A refresher isn't a repeat of the full course. The tutor assumes you already know the basics and concentrates on what has changed, the problems that come up most often on sites, and the decisions your role involves. Expect discussion and group exercises built around real situations, so bring examples from your own job. Have your current certificate to hand when you book, as we'll need its details.

Why the deadline matters

CITB's scheme rules say the refresher is only for people who hold a certificate that is still valid. There's no grace period: if yours has expired by the time you take the refresher, you'll need to book the full course instead, five days for SMSTS or two for SSSTS. That's the main reason not to leave it to the last few weeks.

An expired certificate can also stop you working. Many principal contractors check certificates at induction, and a site manager or supervisor without a valid one may be asked to stay off site until it's sorted.

When to book

We suggest booking two to three months before your expiry date. That gives you:

• a choice of dates, in the classroom or live online, that fit around your work
• room to move to a later date if something comes up on site
• time to finish the course and receive your new certificate before the old one runs out

Make sure the course itself finishes before your expiry date. With a day-release course spread over several weeks, check the last date, not just the first. If your expiry date is close, call us before you book and we'll check what applies to you.

Temporary works certificates work the same way

The CITB Temporary Works Coordinator certificate also lasts five years, and the one-day TWC Refresher has to be taken while it's still in date. Miss it and you're back on the two-day course.

Keeping track for a team

If you manage several supervisors or site managers, their certificates will expire on different dates. Keep a simple list of names, courses and expiry dates, and look at it every few months. A list like this works well:

If several people are due at around the same time, we can run a refresher for your team at your own premises.

Refresher dates in Rotherham and online

For teams in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, both refreshers run in the classroom at our Rotherham venue at Bradmarsh Business Park, reached from M1 junctions 33 and 34, and live online with a tutor. See training across South Yorkshire for the options in your area.

Already expired?

Don't panic, but don't wait either. You'll need the full course: SMSTS for managers or SSSTS for supervisors. Both run as consecutive days, one day a week or at weekends, in the classroom or live online, so you can choose the quickest route back to a valid certificate. Not sure which you need? Read SMSTS or SSSTS.