TW16.

005 Rev A – 18th October 2019

TWf INFORMATION SHEET No. 2

Temporary Works Training

1.0 Introduction

This update incorporates the procedures published in BS 5975:20191. It has

been prepared by Ray Filip (RKF Consult Ltd) and Peter Pallett (Pallett
TemporaryWorks Ltd) on behalf of the Temporary Works Forum (TWf). It
clarifies the status and recommendations for both management and technical
training in temporary works in the UK construction industry. In particular it
will assist those procuring training to, not only identify the type of training
needed, but the necessary pre-course assessment of the trainer’s
competence.

BS 5975: 2019 embodies the philosophy set out in the CDM Regulations 2015
(CDM2015).; requiring employees to be competent; to understand the
principles of risk management, to have relevant up-to-date training and
qualifications, and to have the experience appropriate to the complexity of
the project. The Principal Contractor (PC) is responsible for the construction
and has a duty to control all temporary works on the project, whosoever
provided.

2.0 Temporary Works Coordinators (TWC) and Supervisors (TWS)

BS 5975 identifies the various parties involved in temporary works and the
likely lines of responsibility. It recommends a Principal Contractor’s
Temporary Works Coordinator (PC’s TWC) to control all the temporary
works. Where another contractor, appointed by either the PC or the Client
has proven management skills, some of the PC’s TWC duties can be
delegated to a TWC. As the role of a Contractor can change from project to
project - from being PC on one, to being subcontractor on another - there is
only one TWC course and no necessity for a separate PC’s TWC or TWC
course.

Contractors may also deem it necessary to appoint Temporary Works

Supervisor(s) to assist each project.

Tim Lohmann
CEng FICE FIStructE

1
BS 5975:2019, Code of practice for temporary works procedures and the
permissible stress design of falsework
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3.0 Scope

This Information sheet covers the temporary works training needs of the
TWC, TWS, Temporary Works Designers (TWD) and other staff. The
selection aid (Figure
Figure 1) lists the training courses that staff are likely to need to
satisfy current requirements. The requirements for trainers are listed (see
5.0).
5.0

It is important to note that the courses listed (see 7.0)

7.0 on are available from
different providers. Some courses - not all - are run under a CITB scheme as
the certifying body, and their courses have to be run by approved ‘Site Safety
Plus’ (SSP) training providers.

The necessary company in-house courses on their organisation procedures

(CPC) together with in-house specialist technical courses are listed in Figure
1, but will be run by the individual organisation.

Some of the frequently asked questions are given (see 8.0).

8.0

4.0 Training competence

Competence in temporary works comes from education, training and

experience which should be judged by an appropriate senior individual,
usually referred to as the Designated Individual (DI)2.

BS 5975: 2019, Clause 5.2, states clearly the aims and objective of temporary
works training as:
5.2.1 All those managing temporary works should have, as a minimum, an understanding
of:
a) the procedures outlined in Section 2 of BS 5975;
b) the specific procedures for the organization for whom the person works;
c) the risk management aspect associated with the management of temporary works;
d) technical knowledge relevant to both the role and the complexity of the work; and
e) practical knowledge relevant to the complexity of the work.
5.2.2 Technical and practical knowledge training to satisfy 5.2.1d) and 5.2.1e) should be
related to the role and depend on the scale and specialization of the works. The depth of
knowledge varies from general awareness training through to courses for detailed temporary
works design and identification and rectification of defects in temporary works. Certain
projects might require job-specific technical training (e.g. railway work, demolition, airports,
tunnelling, oil and gas): where required, this should be established at an early stage of the
project.
5.2.3 Those procuring training should assess the actual trainer for competency, not the
training provider; to ensure that the trainer has the relevant and up-to-date technical or
practical experience in temporary works.

In consideration of Clause 5.2.3, the trainer requirements are listed (see 5.0).
5.0

2
CITB Scheme Rules – Appendix L (August 2019)
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5.0 Qualification requirements for trainers

The CITB Scheme Rules (August 2019) state that in addition to holding a
current certificate for the course to be given - and in addition to the minimum
trainer requirements in the CITB Quality Assurance Requirements - the trainer
for the TWC and TWS courses should meet the following criteria:

a) be a member of The Institution of Civil Engineers (AMICE/MICE/FICE); or

b) be a member of the Institution of Structural Engineers
(MIStructE/FIStructE); or
c) be a member of the Institution of Royal Engineers (InstRE); and
d) be registered with the Engineering Council at IEng or CEng level; and
e) hold relevant practical and design experience of temporary works (such
as falsework, formwork, access and protection).

It is good practice, but not mandatory to also hold a health and safety
qualification (e.g. NEBOSH).

The Scheme Rules require any trainer to have achieved a Level 3 Award in
Education and Training (formerly known as PTLLS, Preparing to Teach in the
Lifelong Learning Sector).

A trainer for the TWGA course requires letters of endorsement that must
endorse the trainer’s ability to deliver a high level awareness course on
temporary works. They must also have attended and passed the TWC
course.

Trainers for in-house procedural and technical training should have the
necessary experience.

6.0 Scheme
Scheme of Works

Each CITB course has a Scheme of Work (SOW) document that helps define
the course content and the methods of assessment. The trainer is expected
to map their course content to the SOW to enable it to be checked by the
CITB Quality Assurance team.

Each SOW is supported by a course appendix giving background to the

course, its aims and objectives. Any entry requirements, delegate numbers
and trainer requirements.

7.0 Courses

7.1 CITB
CITB (SSP)

TWCTC - TEMPORARY WORKS CO-

CO-ORDINATOR

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This is a CITB 2-day risk management course with examination leading to a
qualification. The course is based on the temporary works procedures in
Section 2 of BS 5975.
Intended for those who are currently, or who will be in the near future,
appointed a TWC. Generally, delegates are working for a PC or an
organisation requiring a TWC.

It is suitable for site managers, engineers and experienced technicians.

Companies are more frequently requiring this course as a pre-requisite for a

delegate to become appointed as a TWC.

The course has to run by an approved ‘SSP’ training provider. The

transferable course certificate is valid for five years.

TWSTC - TEMPORARY WORKS SUPERVISORS

This is a CITB 1-day risk management course with examination leading to a

qualification. It is suitable for those delegates with a “hands on” practical role
in day-to-day control of temporary works on site. The course is based on the
temporary works procedures in Section 2 of BS 5975.

Intended for those who are currently, or who will be in the near future,
appointed a TWS. Generally, delegates are working for a sub-contractor,
utility, or contractor employing own workforce for temporary works.

It is suitable for site managers, site engineers, site supervisors or experienced

trades-based foremen.

Many companies require this qualification in order for delegate to become a

TWS.

The course has to run by an approved ‘SSP’ training provider. The

transferable course certificate is valid for five years.

TWGATC - TEMPORARY WORKS GENERAL AWARENESS

This is a CITB 1-day awareness course for those who are not currently or who
are not likely to be a TWC or a TWS, but have an interest in temporary works
– mainly office based staff. It is intended for directors, contract managers,
quantity surveyors, health and safety advisors, planners, architects, consulting
engineers, proprietary supply organisations, authorities, utilities, etc.

The transferable course certificate is valid for five years. The course is
suitable for continuing professional development (CPD).

This course has to run by an approved ‘SSP’ training provider.

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7.2 Other Courses

TWTAC - TEMPORARY WORKS TECHNICAL AWARENESS

These are typically 1- or 2-day courses presented by competent qualified

training providers to give up-to-date technical information and techniques in
temporary works. It is intended for all those in both building and civil
engineering activities who require temporary works knowledge for
performance of their jobs. As CDM2015 requires “workers” to be competent
and trained to the level of the complexity of the task(s) in hand, these
courses are essential for practising site and office staff.

In view of the number of subjects involved, each company will need

awareness courses related to their type and range of work. Specialist
contractors will often need either ‘below-ground’ or ‘above-ground’
temporary works to suit their workload. In some cases, the courses may be
specific to a proprietary type of product.

Attendance on these courses provides employers with verification that

delegates remain ‘current’.

These courses are run by several training organisations as both ‘public’ and
‘in-house’ courses.

TW DESIGN
DESIGN - TEMPORARY WORKS DESIGN

Specialised design courses offered by qualified trainers for graduates,

technicians, CAD operators, etc. working in temporary works design offices
or with suppliers. These courses are usually ‘in-house’ and company-based.

CPC - COMPANY PROCEDURES COURSE

BS 5975 recommends every organisation with temporary works involvement

to have a procedure for handling temporary works, so it is a requirement for
that organisation/company to have a method to train its staff on their
procedures. These are ‘in-house’ courses/workshops organised by the
organisation/company.

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 Figure 1 – Temporary works training selection aid

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8.0 Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
8.1 Training courses

The CITB website provides details of CITB-approved training courses. These

are scheduled at www.citb.co.uk/courses-and-qualifications/
Unfortunately, in a Google (or similar) search the CITB’s National
Construction College (NCC) features very prominently.
There are, however, several providers offering quality temporary works
training. To run a certified course they have to pay CITB an annual fee to be
‘SSP’ registered, plus annual fees for each qualified trainer, plus a fee for
every participant (and this doesn’t include the trainer’s costs to become
PTTLS qualified and a CITB certified trainer).
It’s important to remember that not all training providers in temporary works
are CITB-approved. TWf maintain a list of members who are training
providers at www.twforum.org.uk.
BS 5975 recommends that once you have found a training provider, you
should ensure that the actual trainer is competent with the relevant and up-
to-date technical or practical experience in the type of temporary works that
your organisation is involved (see 4.0 (5.2.3)).
8.2 Is it mandatory to have a CITB certificate to be a TWC or TWS?
No. The CITB courses are one method of proving that a person has achieved
a certain level of qualification in the subject. Although it is not a legal
requirement, some clients and/or contractors may include the courses as a
pre-requisite in their procedures to ensure that suitable candidates have an
up-to-date qualification.
8.3 Is there a National Occupational Standard (NOS
(NOS)
NOS) for TWC or TWS?
Not at present. Those who are eligible to be TWCs or TWSs must be
competent and related qualifications and/or training are one measure of
proving overall competence.

A NOS is available for ‘Install, construct, maintain, dismantle and remove

temporary works’ (see COSVR763,
https://www.ukstandards.org.uk/PublishedNos-old/COSVR763.pdf)

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8.4 What is the examination pass mark and what happens if I don’t pass?
All exams are multiple-choice questions and open book. They are a test of
knowledge, not memory!

Exam Questions Pass Resit NOTE (1) Fail NOTE (2)

TWCTC 25 18 - 25 16, 17 0 - 15
TWSTC 25 18 - 25 16, 17 0 - 15
TWGATC 12 9 - 12 7, 8 0-6
NOTE (1) Exam re-sit using a different exam paper within 90 days using any registered
training provider (who may make an additional charge).
NOTE(2) A fail means you have to retake the whole course and examination.

8.5 Can I make a complaint if I have failed?

Assuming that you have attended a CITB course, you are able to lodge a
‘complaint’, e.g. “I thought some exam questions were wrong” or “The trainer
wasn’t suitably qualified”, by lodging your complaint with CITB at
www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/contact-citb/

If the course was delivered by an outside organisation, then remember to

advise them as well.

8.6 How long after passing this examination can I be appointed a TWC or
TWS?
TWS ?

When the designated individual (DI) of the organisation for whom you work
is satisfied that you understand your company procedures; and is also
satisfied that you have the technical competence for the temporary works
involved in the project.

8.7 If I pass the exam how long is the certificate valid for and is it
transferable?

5 years. The CITB issue certificates for each of the three courses (TWCTC,
TWSTC and TWGATC); after which time a refresher course is required.

The certificate is transferable and will be recognised by many companies.

8.8 If I pass the TWGATC can I become a TWC or TWS?

Possibly. The TWGATC is an awareness course aimed at anyone who has an

interest or involvement in temporary works or for Continuing Professional
Development. It is not aimed at persons who already are TWCs or TWSs (or

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who may become so in the near future). You would have to attend a TWCTC
and/or TWSTC course at some point in the future.

8.9 Do all Project Managers have to be TWCs?

No. It depends on the size of project and type of work. For example, in
general building and utilities it is often the case that there will be one TWC
responsible for several sites - and the TWC may be an appointee in the local
regional office.

8.10 Does the TWC have to be employed by the Contractor?

Not necessarily so. BS 5975 recommends that, whether being a PC’s TWC or
a managing contractor’s TWC, the person, “… should either be an employee,
or be an employee of an organisation contracted to provide the services of a
TWC on behalf of the PC/contractor for all the organisation’s temporary
works on the site/project …”3.

This provision allows the small and medium sized companies (SMEs), i.e.
those without defined temporary works experience, to contract others to
manage their temporary works. There are a few specialist organisations
offering this type of service. Obviously, the TWC role has responsibilities
involving significant financial risk if anything goes wrong; so appointing a
third party has legal, insurance and cost implications for a contractor when
passing on their risk to an employee of another organisation.

8.11 Do I have to be a qualified TWS before I attend a TWC course?

No. The two courses are aimed at different levels of academic capability and
operator experience.

8.12 Are there separate PC’s TWC and TWC courses?

No. The risk management aspect of temporary works is similar, but obviously
as a PC’s TWC you take responsibility for all the temporary works on the
site/project; not just your own organisation’s temporary works. So the scope
of the work will be greater and, to be a PC’s TWC, you may need to have
additional technical training to ensure you have the expertise for the
complexity of the job. BS 5975, Clause 5.1.2, states, “… The PC’s TWC and
TWC should have the same level of management training. Their technical
and practical skills should be commensurate with the complexity of the
work…”.

3
BS 5975: 2019, Clause 9.3.2.1 and 9.3.3.1
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8.13 Can a TWC or a TWS either undertake a design or check a design?
Yes. However, they must have the relevant training and their must DI
approve. On larger sites, the TWC might actually have spent time as a
designer in a temporary works design office.
The role of the TWC and TWS is a management role to ensure the works are
carried out correctly to the procedures. Accordingly, they may carry out
designs (but obviously can’t check their own design and they need still have
to have an independent check). The TWC has the role to ensure the
temporary works has been designed and has been checked. Refer to BS
5975: 2019, Clauses 11.2.2.12, 11.3.2.4 and 12.2.4.
8.14 Can you have more than one TWC on a project?
Yes. When you have more than one contractor working on a site/project
one, by law, has to be appointed the Principal Contractor. The PC should
appoint a PC’s TWC to manage all the temporary works. Where there is a
requirement, the PC can authorise another contractor to manage their own
temporary works. Therefore, that sub-contractor appoints a TWC who
reports to the PC’s TWC on all temporary works matters. See BS 5975: 2019,
Figure 3.
Where the project is particularly large or complex, it can be split into more
than one well-defined area and a PC’s TWC appointed for each area. See BS
5975: 2019, Clause 5.1.4.6. To ensure correct lines of responsibility, one PC
TWC is appointed “lead PC’s TWC” to manage the interfaces. It is extremely
rare that a building project would justify more than one PC’s TWC.
8.15 Our company requires everything pre-
pre-designed, so why do I need
technical training?
Relevant technical training will bring you up-to-date with current technology,
materials and safety legislation appropriate to your work. It will also make
you aware of basic concepts to prevent collapses and identify problems.
Hence although “it’s been designed” – and unless you have a technical
awareness – you may not be able to spot and report any errors or omissions.
Everyone has a legal responsibility to keep up-to-date; it’s a basic
requirement in law.
8.16 Will the CITB courses cover my employers’ temporary works
procedures in detail?
Possibly. If the course is delivered for a specific organisation then an in-
house tutor should be able to cover the company procedures in detail. If the
course is held as a public course the delegates are likely to represent a
number of different organisations. In this case, then the answer is probably
“No.” Remember, the examination is based on the procedures and
terminology in Section 2 of BS 5975: 2019 and not your employer’s
procedures.

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Most organisations have temporary works procedures that follow the
philosophy and recommendations of Section 2 of BS 5975: 2019. Delegates
should expect to be given an in-house briefing or Company Procedures
Course (CPC) on their own organisations’ procedures at some point;
preferably after the course to avoid any confusion in the examination. Some
companies do the CPC as an e-learning module.
8.17 What happens if my employers’ temporary works procedures are very
different from BS 5975 procedures, or my employer does not have a
temporary works procedure?
Use of the latest BS 5975 is not mandatory, although it is the current code of
practice accepted by the industry and gives guidance and recommendations.
Every organisation is strongly recommended to take note of its philosophy in
the understanding that it may be used in evidence if there is an accident
involving temporary works. Under the CDM Regulations you may have to
prove that your risk management procedures are at least as good as, if not
better than, the industry standard, i.e. as recommended in BS 5975.
If your employer does not have a temporary works procedure then you
should express your concern to senior management to address the issues. If,
however, you are a contractor BS 5975: 2019 states clearly at Clause 9.1.9 that
if any contractors’ procedures are deemed not acceptable (that includes not
having one!) then the contractor should work to the Principal Contractor’s
procedures.

8.18 I am involved in a specialist field – will the courses cover my

specialisation in detail?
The TWTAC and TWD courses, as either ‘public’ or ‘in-house’ courses, can be
tailored to suit your specification. However, all the ‘SSP’ provider courses are
aimed to be relatively generic to make them transferrable. The CITB scheme
rules allow “some trainer discretion” and course content may be tailored to
suit specialisations.
When reserving courses, it is important to select a suitably experienced and
knowledgeable trainer that is able to tailor the training to offer a degree of
relevant content on your specialisation field.

Disclaimer
Although the Temporary Works Forum (TWf) does its best to ensure that any advice, recommendations or
information it may give either in this publication or elsewhere is accurate, no liability or responsibility of any kind
(including liability for negligence) howsoever and from whatsoever cause arising, is accepted in this respect by the
Forum, its servants or agents.
Readers should note that the documents referenced in this TWf Information Sheet may be subject to revision from
time to time and should therefore ensure that they are in possession of the latest version.

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