Becoming a Health and Safety Consultant

What is a health and safety consultant?

Mainly hired by businesses wanting to ensure they keep their workplace as safe as possible, a health and safety consultant will use their knowledge and skills to create a safe environment for everyone working in the vicinity.

They will have a number of responsibilities that will depend entirely on the type of business they are working with, for example, firms that have heavy machinery or hazardous substances will need to have different strategies put in place compared to a standard office space.

Examples of health and safety consultant duties include:

• Carry out risk assessments, which will lead to looking at changes that need to be made to reduce all current and possible risks.
• Create health and safety strategies and policies.
• Carry out site inspections to ensure a place is keeping on top of procedures.
• Keep records of any incidents or accidents.
• Ensure they are up-to-date with HSE (Health and Safety Executive) guidelines – a government agency that encourages, regulates and enforces workplace health, safety and welfare.
• Keep themselves up-to-date with any new legislation.

What skills and qualifications do I need to become a health and safety consultant?

To become a successful health and safety consultant you’ll need to have skills such as:

• Excellent attention to detail
• Good communication skills so that you are able to explain health and safety procedures
• Having an analytical and investigative mindset

When it comes to qualifications, there are a couple of different routes you can take.

There are a number of health and safety degrees available, as well as apprenticeship schemes.

The best place to start when looking for accredited qualifications is to take a look at the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), which is the UK Chartered body for health and safety professionals.

Benefits of becoming a health and safety consultant

There are so many people choosing to contract through their own limited company and with the numerous benefits that come with being your own boss it’s easy to see why.

For a start, there are the financial benefits, such as being able to claim back on expenses made for the running of your business – this will help to reduce your tax bill at the end of each year.

Read our Limited Company Expenses Guide for more information on this.

Self-employed professionals are also often able to command higher rates compared to their permanent counterparts, plus, the more experience and skills you have, the more you can potentially charge.

There’s also the increased freedom and flexibility – this is particularly important for those looking for a better work/life balance. Contractors will be able to choose their own clients and pick the days and hours they want to work.

Take a look at our Benefits of Contracting page for even more insight into why people choose the self-employed route.

If you’re interested in starting up your own business, then read our Contracting through a Limited Company page for helpful advice.

Our team of experts are available to answer any queries you may have, so drop us a line on 01442 795 100, email sophie.lewis@dolanaccountancy.com, or contact us via live chat.