Blog: Health and safety consultants?

Some organisations are nervous about engaging a health and safety consultant. Here is a little bit of information on what to look for and the benefits that a good health and safety consultant an bring.

Why use a health and safety consultant?

Health and safety consultants bring specialised expertise and experience to ensure your management system meets legal requirements, industry standards, and best practices. We offer tailored advice, knowledge of risk and legal requirements, and strategies to enhance workplace safety; potentially reducing incidents and ensuring compliance. Their insights can save time, streamline processes, and ultimately contribute to a safer work environment.

What do I look for when choosing a health and safety consultant?

Look for a consultant with relevant certifications, experience in your industry, a strong track record, and client testimonials. Also, assess their communication skills, ability to understand your specific needs and values, and their approach to developing practical solutions. A consultant who prioritises collaboration and ongoing support can be highly valuable. Beware of consultants that offer ready made solutions with out detailed discussion to understand your business activities, organisational culture and areas of risk - these can fall far short of meeting your needs. Also be very cautious of of signing up to contracts that tie you in for long periods of time and / or rolling contracts with short windows to terminate the contract before you are committed for another prolonged period. I speak to many organisations stuck in contracts for up to 3 years they don't want to be in and that are not meeting their needs but still have to be paid on a monthly basis.

Why is a health and safety consultant who shares your values better than one who doesn’t?

A consultant who shares your values is more likely to understand and prioritise the specific safety culture and goals you want to foster within your organisation. This alignment ensures a more cohesive approach to implementing safety measures, making it easier to integrate recommendations and improvement seamlessly into your workplace. It can also lead to better employee buy-in and engagement with the safety initiatives, ultimately creating a safer and more harmonious work environment.