TWC vs TWS: Which Temporary Works Course Do You Need?

The short answer: if you will take overall responsibility for managing temporary works on a project, you need the 2-day Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) course. If you will supervise specific temporary works on the ground under a coordinator, you need the 1-day Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS) course. They are different jobs, not levels of the same job, and neither course is a stepping stone to the other.

The two roles under BS 5975

BS 5975, the British Standard for temporary works procedures, deliberately separates the two roles. The Temporary Works Coordinator manages the whole process on a project: preparing design briefs, making sure designs are independently checked, keeping the temporary works register, and issuing the permits to load and to remove. The Temporary Works Supervisor works at site level, supervising specific items of temporary works day to day and making sure the agreed procedures are actually followed. The supervisor supports the coordinator and is often appointed on larger sites, or where one coordinator covers several sites at once.

If the roles themselves are new to you, start with our full temporary works and BS 5975 guide, which explains the process the two roles run between them.

How the courses compare

Both courses sit in the CITB Site Safety Plus scheme and both certificates last five years.

The TWC course runs over two days and covers the full BS 5975 management process: the roles and their duties, design briefs, independent design checking and the four check categories, the temporary works register, permits to load and dismantle, and the four Cs of communication, coordination, cooperation and competency.

The TWS course runs over one day and concentrates on the site end of the same process: understanding the procedures, supervising temporary works through erection, use and dismantling, inspections, and knowing when to escalate to the coordinator.

Which one does your job need?

Go by what you will actually be responsible for, not by seniority.

• Site managers, agents and engineers who own the temporary works process on their project need the TWC course. It pairs naturally with SMSTS.
• Foremen, gangers and working supervisors who oversee specific temporary works, such as excavation support, propping or falsework, under someone else's coordination need the TWS course. It pairs naturally with SSSTS.

There is no requirement to take TWS before TWC. If your role is coordination, book the TWC course directly.

The syllabus, side by side

The overlap is deliberate, because both roles run the same BS 5975 process from different ends.

The 2-day TWC course covers: BS 5975 and the temporary works process, the role of the coordinator, the roles in the temporary works team, the four Cs, legislation and codes of practice, the temporary works register and design brief, risk assessments and method statements, worked examples, and checking, permitting, loading and removal.

The 1-day TWS course covers: BS 5975 and temporary works, the role of the supervisor, procedures and the register, risk control on site, examples of temporary works, communication and reporting, legislation, and checking and permits.

Put simply, the coordinator course teaches you to run the paperwork and the process; the supervisor course teaches you to work to them on the ground and report back.

Experience and entry requirements

Neither course has a formal entry requirement. The TWC course assumes a construction background, and a working knowledge of site management helps because the material moves quickly through design briefs, check categories and permits. For TWS, relevant site experience is recommended: the course is role training for people who will genuinely supervise temporary works, not a general awareness day. Both are delivered in classrooms and as live online courses carrying the same CITB certificate.

Renewal and refreshers

Both certificates are valid for five years. TWC holders renew with the 1-day TWC Refresher, which must be taken before the certificate expires. TWS holders renew by taking the 1-day course again. Put the expiry date in your calendar: letting a certificate lapse means paying for the full course a second time.

Prices and dates

Prices vary by format and location. Our TWC course cost guide shows live prices pulled straight from bookable dates, and CITB-registered employers should read our CITB funding guide before paying full price.

Ready to book? See live dates for the Temporary Works Coordinator course and the Temporary Works Supervisor course, online and classroom, with instant confirmation.