Site Safety Supervisors Update

The gold supervisors' card course is a mid-management level construction site programme. It is aimed at those who operate in a supervisory capacity within the construction sector. Typically, these are subcontractor lead operatives or individuals that are second in command to the main contractor’s site manager. It is Northern Ireland’s equivalent to the SSSTS course.

Prospective delegates cannot complete the site supervisor’s gold card training course online. The Construction Employers Federation stipulate that this course can only be delivered from the physical classroom environment.

From 1st January 2000, the attendance prerequisites for the site safety supervisors scheme changed significantly. Instead of being able to attend freely, new course entrants must hold or be enrolled on either a Level 3 or Level 4 NVQ Diploma Construction Site Supervision. Supervisors who have a current certificate issued before this period can update it without meeting this requirement. However, their card will stipulate a maximum expiry date of 31st December 2024.

The most common alternative is the IOSH Safety, Health, and Environment for Construction Site Managers course. This course has no restrictive prerequisites to attendance and can be completed by various means, including online via self-directed eLearning.

The site safety supervisor's gold card is accepted in the Republic of Ireland due to a mutual recognition agreement between the CEF and the Solas safe pass scheme. However, we recommend you check with the contractor or client you plan to work for before arriving on-site to avoid unnecessary access delays.

This training and the associated cards are accepted in Great Britain due to a mutual recognition agreement between the CEF and the CSCS scheme. All site safety supervisor gold cards carry the CSCS hologram on the top right-hand corner.

The course covers various health and safety topics specific to the construction industry. Modules cover content including accident reporting and investigation, legislation and a broad remit of construction-specific hazards and associated control measures. Tutors must originate from a construction background and be able to bring their years of experience and expertise to deliver highly interactive and scenario-based training.

Site supervisors are assessed using a 20-question multiple-choice question paper and a computerised touch screen test undertaken on a separate day from the training. This online assessment will be booked on your behalf and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. The typical locations of the external text centres are either Belfast or Ballymena.

Individuals embarking on the site safety supervisors' course for the first time must undertake four training days. In addition, this course has a mandatory recertification course, which involves completing one-day update training. Site supervisors must complete this within six months of the expiry of their previous training. If this grace period surpasses, the initial course is deemed void, and the supervisor will be required to complete the entire four-day course again to regain the gold card.

This course is aimed at site supervisors, typically the lead representative of a sub-contractor or an assistant to the main contractor’s site manager. The course aims to provide a fundamental understanding of supervising health and safety within a construction environment. It is a valuable training course for construction firms who wish to develop the competency of those they assign supervisory responsibilities.

The construction sector is considered one of the highest-risk industries in the world. Site supervisors who complete this course will be equipped with a level of expertise to help safeguard themselves and others from the hazards presented on site. The likely outcome is a better performing health and safety management system, evidenced by lower accident, incident, and ill-health rates among construction personnel.