Why Do Construction Workers Need Health and Safety Training?

When You Book Multiple Courses.

Health and safety training for construction workers

Construction workers need health and safety training because building sites are still among the most dangerous workplaces in Great Britain, and because the law requires employers to train people before they are put at risk. Training is also how you get through the site gate: most principal contractors expect a valid CSCS card, and getting a card depends on health and safety tests and training. The right course depends on your role, starting with the one-day CITB Health and Safety Awareness course for new entrants and building up to SSSTS and SMSTS for supervisors and managers.

Construction is still a high-risk industry

HSE’s figures show why training is not a box-ticking exercise. Its report Construction statistics in Great Britain, 2025 recorded:

35 workers killed in construction in 2024/25, against a five-year average of 40 a year
53% of construction deaths over those five years caused by falls from height
a fatal injury rate around 4.8 times the average across all industries
around 50,000 construction workers injured at work each year, and 79,000 suffering work-related ill health
around 2.2 million working days lost each year to injury and ill health

HSE’s provisional figures for 2025/26 show 25 construction workers killed. That is fewer than the year before, but construction still recorded more worker deaths than any other industry.

Ill health is the larger hidden cost. HSE estimates that 82% of the working days lost in construction come from work-related illness rather than injury, which is why good training covers occupational health as well as accident prevention.

What the law says about health and safety training

No single law names one course that every construction worker must take. Instead, several pieces of legislation make training a duty for employers and contractors:

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 2. Every employer must provide such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their employees.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 13. Employers must give adequate health and safety training when people are recruited and when they face new or increased risks, for example a change of responsibilities, new work equipment or a new system of work. The training must be repeated periodically where appropriate and must take place during working hours.
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Anyone appointed to a project must have the skills, knowledge and experience to fulfil the role (regulation 8). A contractor must not employ or appoint anyone to work on a construction site unless they have, or are in the process of obtaining, the necessary skills, knowledge, training and experience, and every worker must receive a suitable site induction (regulation 15).

In short, training is how an employer shows its people are competent for the work they are given. Certificates and training records are the simplest evidence that those duties have been met.

Training and the CSCS card

Holding a CSCS card is not a legal requirement in itself. In practice, though, CSCS says most principal contractors and major house builders require workers on their sites to hold a valid card, so without one it is hard to get on site.

For the Labourer card, CSCS asks for a pass in the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test plus a recognised health and safety qualification. The CITB Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) course is an accepted alternative to the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, and the first Labourer card issued is valid for two years. Our step by step guide to the Green Labourer CSCS card walks through the process.

Which health and safety course fits which role?

Health and safety training should grow with your responsibilities. A labourer, a supervisor and a site manager all need a different depth of knowledge. Here is how the main CITB Site Safety Plus courses line up:

Role	Course	Duration	Certificate validity
New entrants, labourers and operatives	CITB Health and Safety Awareness (HSA)	1 day	5 years
Supervisors and team leaders	Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS)	2 days	5 years
Site managers, project managers and business owners	Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)	5 days	5 years
Company directors and senior managers	Directors’ Role for Health and Safety	1 day	5 years

If you are moving into supervision, SSSTS is the usual next step after HSA. If you plan and run sites, SMSTS is the course contractors look for. Not sure which of the two you need? Our SMSTS vs SSSTS comparison sets them side by side, and Is SMSTS a legal requirement? explains where the law ends and contractor requirements begin.

SSSTS and SMSTS holders renew with a shorter refresher course taken before the certificate expires. Some tasks also need specific training on top of these courses, whatever your role. Anyone whose work could disturb asbestos, for example, needs asbestos awareness training: our guide What is asbestos awareness training and what does it cover? explains the details.

What good training gives workers and employers

Workers who can spot hazards and know when to stop and ask
Fewer accidents, injuries and days lost to ill health
Evidence that the legal duty to train has been met
Access to sites that require CSCS cards and recognised certificates
Supervisors and managers who can plan work safely and lead by example
Fewer project delays caused by incidents and stoppages

Health and safety training with Target Zero

Target Zero Training delivers the CITB Health and Safety Awareness course as a one-day course run live online via Zoom, so you can train from anywhere in the UK. It is designed for people with little or no practical experience of construction and covers:

your responsibilities for your own safety and the safety of others
typical construction hazards and how they are controlled
how everyone can help raise practical standards of safety on site
legal requirements and liabilities
working at height, manual handling and fire prevention
work equipment and occupational health

You will need a laptop or computer with a working camera and microphone (not a tablet or mobile phone), and you complete a short initial assessment before the course. When you are ready to step up, Target Zero also runs SSSTS and SMSTS courses live online and in classrooms across the UK.

FAQs

Is health and safety training a legal requirement in construction?

Yes. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers must provide the information, instruction, training and supervision their workers need, and the Management Regulations 1999 require training when people start and when their risks change. CDM 2015 adds that contractors may only use workers who have, or are obtaining, the right skills, knowledge, training and experience. The law does not name a specific course, so employers choose recognised training that fits each role.

What health and safety course do I need for a CSCS card?

For the Labourer card you need the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test plus a recognised health and safety qualification. The one-day CITB Health and Safety Awareness course is one of the accepted options. Other card types have their own requirements, so check against the card you are applying for.

Do you need a CSCS card to work on a building site?

Not by law. CSCS itself says holding a card is not a legislative requirement, but most principal contractors and major house builders insist on one, so in practice most site workers need a card.

How long does the CITB Health and Safety Awareness certificate last?

CITB states that Health and Safety Awareness certification is valid for five years. To stay certified, you retake the course before it expires.

Can I do the Health and Safety Awareness course online?

Yes. The HSA course can be taken in a classroom or online, and Target Zero runs it live online via Zoom over one day.

What health and safety training does a site supervisor need?

Most contractors expect supervisors to hold the CITB Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS), a two-day course. Site managers usually need the five-day SMSTS. Both certificates are valid for five years.

Whether you are starting out or moving up, the right training keeps you safe and gets you on site. Book your place on the CITB Health and Safety Awareness course with Target Zero Training, backed by more than 10,000 verified reviews on Reviews.io and a 4.9 rating on Trustpilot. When you take on more responsibility, our SSSTS and SMSTS courses are the next step.