Choosing the Right Health and Safety Consultancy: 5 Essential Questions to Ask
Health and Safety is essential for every business. Without it, a company owner runs the risk of endangering their employees. To ensure a business is providing its employees with a safe working environment, an effective health and safety consultancy is key.
But when choosing a health and safety consultancy, how do you choose the right one? Below are the main considerations for enlisting the right consultant for you.
What are their accreditations?
Every health and safety consultancy should have an accreditation. In the UK, there are two bodies that the British Safety Council recommend gaining the qualifications from: IOSH and NEBOSH.
IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) and NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) are both well-regarded, globally-recognised bodies, though they provide slightly different qualifications.
IOSH courses are typically provided for employees, managers and senior executives who do not have roles focused on health and safety but need to integrate health and safety principles into their work. NEBOSH, however, is a more academic institution that aims to provide training to professionals whose sole focus is either training other people in and/or instituting health and safety principles in the workplace.
When choosing a health and safety consultancy, they should ideally have both of these qualifications, but a NEBOSH accreditation should be the priority.
2. Do they have a reputation?
Most health and safety consultants should be happy to tell you who they have worked with and be able to produce testimonials from their clients to evidence their work. If you have the time, it might help to get in touch with former clients who are willing to share their experience of choosing that health and safety consultancy. Which consultancies are businesses in your sector using? Are you able to find out from fellow businesses who they use to consult on their health and safety practices?
3. Does the consultancy have experience in your field?
The best health and safety consultancy for you is typically the one that understands the industry in which you operate. It not only means they understand the laws that regulate your industry, but it also saves you from explaining how your company works.
Ask consultants for evidence of work they have they’ve completed with similar businesses. At Crysp we work with a range of clients, have built up decades of experience with schools, medical practitioners, retailers, offices and much more. We’re always happy to offer up details of work we’ve done with former, or on-going, clients, and any professional health and safety consultancy should be too.
4. What services do they provide and how are they delivered?
Choosing the right health and safety consultancy depends largely on what you require. Do you need support with an inspection, an audit or the preparation for a visit from an official body? Most health and safety consultancies provide a range of services, but you need to make sure they offer a service that is delivered in a way that is beneficial to your business.
For instance, do you want a one-off inspection and review that is delivered in person? Do you need staff training delivered either remotely or in person? Or would you benefit more from a health and safety consultant who creates a plan to regularly ensure you are up-to-date with all the compliance requirements that will come up over the years?
Something else to consider is the size of the business. A larger company may be able to provide a service that can help you at almost any time of the year. A small business with fewer employees may be able to provide a service handled by the same individual or a few individuals, but not be able to offer the same level of availability.
5. How much does it cost?
For any business, the cost of consultancy is an important consideration. Health and safety officers typically train for years, especially if they’re gaining a degree or a postgraduate diploma. Accredited professional services developed from years of experience can cost more, but are often worth more than companies that offer junior officers with less rigorous training.
Health and safety is like any sector, and you get what you pay for. Here’s a helpful article from Isafe on average health and safety consultancy fees in the UK. That should give you an idea of what’s normal, and help you understand what’s worth paying for.
Ask for a detailed quote. When choosing a health and safety consultancy, you need to know exactly what you’re paying for. A suitable consultancy should be able to provide a breakdown of their services so you can understand what you’re paying for.
Why you can trust us
Crysp has all the necessary accreditation. Just ask, and we’ll be able to provide the documentation of our qualified experts.
We have a broad range of experience and have worked with schools, offices, retailers and many more.
We’ve partnered with reputable brands like Microsoft and RICS, who help us to provide our effective services.
We deliver our services not just through consultants but a cutting-edge digital system that allows you to keep on top of files, inspections and audits.
We offer transparent run-downs of our fees.
Reach out now for a free consultation, and we’ll make health and safety in your company simple and effective.
