All businesses operating within the UK are legally obliged to comply with certain legislation in regards to health and safety in the workplace. Whilst very small start-up businesses may be able to manage their obligations without bringing in a professional consultant, most enterprises reach a stage where their health and safety requirements are too complicated, and the risks associated with non-compliance are too high, to handle using their own resources. In such cases, health and safety consultants are normally hired to carry out this work.
A good consultant should be able to quickly and efficiently identify the primary health and safety risks within a workplace, and offer in-depth advice regarding how these risks can be reduced or eliminated. They should then assist the business owner with the implementation of risk-management procedures and systems. In order to do all of this, health and safety consultants have to be qualified, and have the necessary knowledge and experience. At the very minimum, they should have membership to professional bodies such as IIRSM and IOSH. These memberships serve as an indication that the consultant is trained and has the experience to carry out the health and safety work to a high standard.
It is also crucial that the chosen consultant has suitable insurance – at the very least, they should have professional indemnity insurance. In addition to this, it’s worth enquiring into what resources the consultancy firm can make available for the work – some firms choose to subcontract, in which case it may be necessary to check that subcontractor’s references and qualifications as well.
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