Many businesses face challenges with keeping their workspace safe. Recent changes in health and safety laws make this even tougher. This article will show you how an external health and safety consultant can help solve these issues.
Keep reading to find out more.
What is a Health and Safety Consultant?
Transitioning from the introduction, let’s focus on defining a health and safety consultant. This person is a third-party professional who brings specialised knowledge and skills in maintaining safety and health within workplaces.
They hold qualifications like NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health), NCRQ (National Compliance and Risk Qualifications), or IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health).
These certifications prove they can tackle workplace risks effectively.
Health and safety consultants dedicate themselves entirely to ensuring companies meet legal requirements for a safe working environment. They offer expert advice on creating safe systems of work that prevent workplace injuries.
Through their guidance, businesses can adhere to health and safety standards like ISO 14001 for environmental management systems, ensuring compliance with laws. Their main goal is to aid organisations in managing their health and safety tasks more efficiently, thus fostering a strong culture of safety among employees.
Keeping you safe at work, so every day ends as it should.
Does your workplace comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015?
Our consultants can help ensure you have the right systems in place.
Key Benefits of Hiring an External Health and Safety Consultant
Hiring an external health and safety consultant provides access to specialised knowledge, delivering expert insights on risk assessments and safety in the workplace. Employers benefit from impartial and trustworthy analysis of their safety management system, which enhances the overall safety culture within their organisation.
Access to Specialised Knowledge and Experience
Consultants in health and safety bring a wealth of specialised knowledge to the table. They may have worked across different fields like construction, manufacturing, and care. This gives them a broad view and deep understanding of best practices in workplace safety.
They stay up-to-date with industry trends by attending seminars and meeting with industry groups.
These experts can spot gaps in your safety protocols or procedures that you might miss. Once they find these gaps, they create an action plan to address them. Their advice ensures your company follows the latest safety regulations.
This helps prevent accidents at work and non-compliance issues which could lead to fines or worse, harm to your team.
Impartial and Trustworthy Analysis
External health and safety consultants bring an unbiased eye to a company’s procedures. They spot risks that those inside the company might miss because of their familiarity with industry-wide issues.
Their assessments don’t get clouded by past safety problems or internal politics, making them reliable partners in maintaining standards.
Offering an unprejudiced evaluation, these consultants are key to ensuring compliance with the latest safety regulations.
By focusing on impartiality, businesses can trust these experts for honest feedback on their health and safety practices. This trust proves crucial for companies aiming to meet ISO 9001 requirements or any regulatory framework without the influence of internal biases or conflicts.
Cost-Effectiveness Compared to In-House Solutions
Hiring a health and safety advisor from outside the company costs less than keeping one on staff full-time. This fact matters a lot for smaller firms. They often find it too expensive to have their own dedicated worker for health and safety tasks.
By choosing to outsource, these companies save money not just on wages but also on training and employment benefits that they would need to offer an in-house employee.
Outsourced consultants bring skills in managing workplace dangers without the extra cost of hiring someone permanently. This way, small to medium enterprises (SMEs) keep up with laws about workplace safety without breaking the bank.
Outsourcing means businesses can avoid heavy fees tied to employing staff while still making sure they follow all rules about health and safety at work.
Does your workplace comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015?
Our consultants can help ensure you have the right systems in place.
When to Consider Hiring an External Health and Safety Consultant
Consider hiring an external health and safety consultant during critical project phases, when updating safety protocols, or in response to regulatory changes. For more insights, continue reading our blog.
During Critical Project Phases
During critical project phases, companies face high risks. An external health and safety consultant helps manage these dangers. They bring special expertise to guide through these risky times.
Their knowledge in risk management and engineering plays a big role here.
Hiring a freelancer for health & safety ensures an impartial look at the company’s practices. This is especially vital during big projects or when demands spike suddenly. These consultants use tools like audits and data analysis effectively.
This approach aids in learning and development within the firm too. It makes sure that insurance covers are appropriate for the potential hazards involved.
When Updating Safety Protocols
Shifting focus from the crucial role an external health and safety consultant plays during important project stages, the significance of revamping safety rules should not be overlooked.
The process of updating health and safety protocols is a task of considerable importance. The extensive skills possessed by these consultants are invaluable for such a task. They are capable of comparing current safety protocols with new legislation to identify any disparities.
Their exposure to a variety of industries provides them with a comprehensive understanding of the finest practices.
These professionals excel at making indispensable changes while ensuring the continued smooth functioning of operations. For example, they might utilise audits and gap analyses based on standard regulations such as ISO 45001.
This procedure guarantees that any modifications not only comply with legal requirements but also contribute constructively to workplace safety. Consultants possess the expertise to develop current policies reflecting these modifications, thus aiding managers in preventing compliance matters or unwarranted dismissal charges.
In Response to Regulatory Changes
After updating safety protocols, businesses must also deal with changing government rules. These laws, especially in health and safety, are getting stricter. External consultants can help companies keep up.
They review legal compliance in health, safety, and environment (HSE). This ensures workers know what they should do.
Consultants come in handy as new regulations roll out. They offer support to follow these new laws correctly. This keeps businesses safe from fines or unfair dismissal claims. With their help, companies can focus on work without worrying about falling behind on legal requirements.
Conclusion
Using an external health and safety advisor offers many perks. They bring deep know-how and fresh eyes to spot issues your team might miss. This choice saves money over time compared to hiring staff just for this role.
For all businesses, big or small, it means meeting tough rules without stress. An expert from outside ensures your workplace stays safe and legal.
Does your workplace comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015?
Our consultants can help ensure you have the right systems in place.