Health and Safety Consultants UK: What They Do, Costs & How to Appoint One

A UK health and safety consultant helps employers satisfy specific legal duties — producing written policies, risk assessments, RAMS, and construction phase plans — that regulations name explicitly. Costs are market-variable: retained monthly arrangements and ad-hoc day rates both exist. Outsourcing capability never transfers legal responsibility: the employer and its directors remain liable regardless of who drafts the documents. Here is exactly what to expect, what to verify, and how to appoint properly.

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What a Health and Safety Consultant Actually Does — Mapped to UK Legal Duties

Most businesses engage a consultant for one of three reasons: they lack the internal expertise to satisfy specific regulatory duties, they need documents a principal contractor will scrutinise before awarding work, or an enforcement notice has sharpened the need for external help. In every case, the work a consultant delivers maps directly to statute — not to a generic "health and safety service."

The core deliverables an external consultant produces or assists with include:

Written health and safety policy — HSWA 1974, section 2 places a duty on every employer to prepare and revise a written statement of general policy with respect to health and safety at work, and to bring it to the notice of all employees. The HSE confirms that if you have five or more employees, you must write your policy down. (HSE — Health and safety policy) A consultant drafts the policy, names the responsible persons, and sets a review cycle.

Suitable and sufficient risk assessments — The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3 requires every employer to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to employees and others, and to record the significant findings where five or more employees are employed. HSE describes risk management as a step-by-step process — identify hazards, assess the risks, control the risks, record findings, review controls — which the employer can carry out themselves or appoint a competent person to help with. (HSE — Risk assessment: steps needed to manage risk) The Management Regulations also require every employer to appoint one or more competent persons to assist with health and safety compliance. (MHSWR 1999, reg 7)

COSHH assessments — An employer must not carry out work liable to expose employees to any substance hazardous to health unless a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk has been made and its steps implemented; where five or more employees are employed, the significant findings must be recorded. (COSHH 2002, regulation 6) A COSHH assessment concentrates on hazards and risks from substances in the workplace — and health hazards are not limited to substances labelled as hazardous; harmful substances can be produced by processes such as wood dust from sanding, silica dust from tile cutting, and fumes from welding. (HSE — COSHH basics: assessment) Where substances are classified as carcinogens, mutagens or asthmagens, exposure must be controlled to as low as is reasonably practicable (ALARP) under COSHH 2002. (HSE — EH40 workplace exposure limits)

Construction phase plans — A construction phase plan is required for every construction project under CDM 2015. If working for a domestic client as the only or principal contractor, that contractor is responsible for preparing the plan, organising the work, and working together with others to ensure health and safety. (HSE CIS80) A consultant can prepare or assist with this plan before the construction phase begins.

RAMS (Risk Assessments and Method Statements) — Required by principal contractors and clients as evidence of planned controls before work starts. Not a freestanding statutory instrument, but the vehicle through which regulation 3 risk assessment findings and CDM 2015 construction phase plan obligations are communicated to the workforce.

Employee consultation — An employer has a legal duty to consult with employees on matters relating to health and safety in the workplace. (HSWA 1974 s.2(6); Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996) A consultant can design the consultation process and facilitate toolbox talks.

RIDDOR support — RIDDOR is the law that requires employers and other people in charge of work premises to report and keep records of all work-related fatalities, work-related injuries, diagnosed cases of reportable occupational diseases, and certain dangerous occurrences. (HSE — RIDDOR key definitions) A retained consultant can manage the reporting process and carry out post-incident investigation.

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A Crucial Distinction: Two Meanings of "Health and Safety Consultation"

The word "consultation" appears twice in this field with entirely different meanings. Health and safety consultation (the legal duty) is an employer's obligation to consult workers about risks and control measures — a statutory requirement with genuine two-way dialogue. Health and safety consultancy (what this page addresses) is the commercial engagement of an external adviser. These are distinct; conflating them causes both commercial confusion and legal misunderstanding.

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What Outsourcing H&S Never Transfers: Employer and Director Liability Under HSWA 1974

This is the gap that competitor pages almost universally omit.

HSWA 1974, section 2 places the duty on every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees. Section 3 extends that duty to persons not in employment who may be affected by the undertaking. These duties sit with the employer — not with whichever external adviser they have engaged.

Engaging a consultant transfers expertise and capability. It does not transfer legal responsibility. If a worker is injured and an investigation reveals that risk assessments were inadequate or a construction phase plan was absent, the legal exposure remains with the employer and its senior individuals — regardless of any consultancy arrangement in place. An external consultant is not a shield; they are a resource. Review all documents a consultant produces before relying on them for compliance purposes.

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How to Verify a Consultant Is Competent Before You Appoint Them — and What OSHCR Is

The Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR) is a register of consultants who can offer advice to UK businesses to help them manage health and safety risks. HSE supports the register as a trustworthy means to find consultants who are certified professionals with a status recognised by their professional body and who are up to date on the latest standards. (hse.gov.uk/consultant/find-a-consultant.htm) Note: HSE is not responsible for and cannot guarantee the accuracy of information on sites it does not manage, and inclusion on OSHCR reflects professional-body certification and currency — it is not a direct HSE certification of individual consultants.

OSHCR is the right starting point for construction SMEs, but it is not the only check. Use the appointment checklist below.

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Unique Asset 1: Competent-Person Appointment Checklist (8 Items)

Use this checklist before signing any consultancy agreement. Adapt it to your specific engagement and have it reviewed by a person competent in H&S procurement.

#	Check	What to look for	Done?
1	OSHCR registration	Search oshcr.org — confirm the consultant appears and that their listing is current	☐
2	Professional body membership currency	Ask for evidence of current membership (IOSH, IIRSM, BOHS or equivalent); verify renewal date	☐
3	Professional indemnity insurance	Request a current certificate; check the indemnity limit is adequate for your contract size	☐
4	Written appointment letter confirming scope	The letter must define: specific deliverables, response times, site visit frequency, and which regulations the scope covers	☐
5	CDM 2015 regulation 8 skills/knowledge/experience check	For construction projects: CDM 2015, regulation 8 requires that a designer or contractor appointed to a project must have the skills, knowledge, experience and, if an organisation, the organisational capability necessary to fulfil the role in a manner that secures the health and safety of any person affected by the project. Apply equivalent scrutiny to your consultant appointment. Confirm relevant sector experience (e.g. roofing, groundworks) — not just generic H&S credentials	☐
6	RIDDOR reporting protocol in writing	Confirm: who is responsible for submitting RIDDOR reports, on what timescale, and what post-incident documentation the consultant will produce	☐
7	Written H&S policy delivery date	The written policy obligation under HSWA 1974 s.2 cannot wait; get a firm delivery date in the appointment letter — typically within 20 working days of engagement	☐
8	Confirmation that employer/director liability is not transferred	The engagement letter should make explicit that legal responsibility under HSWA 1974 remains with the employer; be wary of any consultant whose marketing implies otherwise	☐

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Retained vs Ad-Hoc vs In-House: A Make-or-Buy Decision Framework

Cost figures for consultancy are market-variable and are not set by statute or any published benchmark. The structure of each model is described below; confirm actual pricing directly with suppliers before making a decision.

Model	Structure	Typical scope	Best for	Key risk
Ad-hoc / day rate	Per-day or per-project fee; no ongoing commitment	Single risk assessment, one-off site audit, incident investigation	Businesses with an occasional, discrete need	Cost unpredictable if scope expands; no continuity of knowledge
Retained monthly	Fixed monthly fee; commonly structured on a minimum 12-month term	Written H&S policy, ongoing risk assessment review, RAMS, CDM construction phase plans, phone/email advice, annual site visit	SMEs and small contractors needing a continuous competent-person arrangement	Scope creep if deliverables are not defined in the appointment letter; value depends on quality of consultant access
In-house safety officer	Employment contract; full employment overhead including NI, pension, holiday, equipment	All of the above plus day-to-day supervision, induction delivery, toolbox talks	Businesses with 30+ employees or high-risk ongoing operations	High fixed cost; single point of failure if individual leaves

The make-or-buy test for a small contractor: If your annual H&S documentation burden (policy, risk assessments, RAMS per project, COSHH assessments, construction phase plans) would require more than 10–15 dedicated days per year of your own management time, a retained consultant is likely to cost less than the opportunity cost of your time — and brings regulatory currency you may not have.

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Unique Asset 2: Worked Scenario — Roofing Contractor with 8 Employees

Scenario: A sole-director roofing contractor employs 8 workers. They engage a retained health and safety consultant. Below is the regulation-by-regulation map of what documents are required, which legal provision triggers each, and how RamsDocs supports production.

This scenario is illustrative. All documents produced must be reviewed and adapted by a competent person for each specific site, task, and contractor before use.

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The Legal Trigger Map

Trigger 1 — Written H&S Policy

• Regulation: HSWA 1974, section 2 — duty to prepare and revise a written statement of general policy and bring it to the notice of all employees
• Why it applies: 8 employees exceeds the five-employee threshold confirmed by HSE (HSE — Health and safety policy)
• Document produced: Written H&S policy (signed by the director, covering organisation chart, arrangements for each key hazard, review date)
• In RamsDocs: Policy template with named responsible persons; revisable annually within the platform

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Trigger 2 — Suitable and Sufficient Risk Assessments

• Regulation: Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3 — suitable and sufficient assessment; significant findings recorded (8 employees exceeds the five-employee recording threshold)
• Specific hazards for a roofing contractor:
  • Falls from height: Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries; the Work at Height Regulations 2005 aim to prevent death and injury from a fall from height (HSE INDG401). Roof work accounts for a quarter of all deaths in the construction industry; falls through fragile materials such as roof lights and asbestos cement roofing sheets account for more of these deaths than any other single cause — and not all people killed while working on roofs are trained roofers (HSG33)
  • Manual handling: The Manual Handling Operations Regulations require employers to avoid the need for hazardous manual handling so far as reasonably practicable; assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that cannot be avoided; and reduce the risk of injury so far as reasonably practicable (HSE L23)
  • Lone working: As an employer, you must manage any health and safety risks before people can work alone — this applies to anyone contracted to work for you, including self-employed people (HSE — Lone working: employer guidance)
• Document produced: Task-specific risk assessments (roof access, fragile roof materials, ladder and scaffold use, lone working)
• In RamsDocs: Risk assessment library pre-populated with roofing-sector hazards; consultant reviews and signs off each assessment

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Trigger 3 — COSHH Assessments

• Regulation: COSHH 2002, regulation 6 — suitable and sufficient assessment before work begins; significant findings recorded (8 employees)
• Specific hazards: Bitumen fumes from torch-on felt application, silica dust from cutting roof tiles, lead from flashings, fibre release from insulation materials
• Document produced: COSHH assessment for each substance/process, cross-referenced to WEL where applicable; where materials are classified as carcinogens or mutagens, controls must reduce exposure to ALARP (HSE — EH40)
• In RamsDocs: COSHH assessment template with substance fields, exposure route, existing controls, and review trigger

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Trigger 4 — Construction Phase Plan (every project)

• Regulation: CDM 2015 — a construction phase plan is required for every construction project; where the roofing contractor is the only or principal contractor on a domestic project, they are responsible for preparing it (HSE CIS80)
• Notifiable projects: Where a project is notifiable, the client must give written notice to HSE before the construction phase begins; however, someone else — including the consultant — may do this on behalf of the client (CDM 2015, reg 6). CIS80 identifies that projects lasting longer than 500 person-days or 30 working days with more than 20 workers working simultaneously will need to be notified and are likely to be too complex for a simple plan format
• Document produced: Construction phase plan for each project (key dates, hazard identification, controls, welfare arrangements, named supervisor)
• In RamsDocs: CPP template with CIS80-aligned sections; project-specific fields completed by consultant or contractor before work starts

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Trigger 5 — RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement)

• Not a freestanding statutory instrument, but the mechanism through which regulation 3 risk assessment findings are translated into task-specific safe systems of work and submitted to principal contractors
• Document produced: RAMS for each roofing task (pitched roof, flat roof, fragile roof, scaffold erection/dismantling)
• In RamsDocs: RAMS builder linking hazard library to method steps; produces a PC review-ready document

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Trigger 6 — RIDDOR Reporting Protocol

• Regulation: RIDDOR — employers must report and record all work-related fatalities, specified injuries, over-seven-day incapacitation injuries, and certain dangerous occurrences (HSE — RIDDOR key definitions)
• In the retained arrangement: Consultant agrees in the appointment letter to manage RIDDOR submissions and post-incident investigation documentation

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How RamsDocs Helps Consultants Produce Regulation-Required Documents Faster

A consultant retained by this roofing contractor faces a recurring production challenge: every new project needs a construction phase plan; every new substance needs a COSHH assessment; every new task needs a RAMS. Without a structured platform, this documentation is produced in isolation — inconsistently formatted, slow to update, and difficult to evidence to a principal contractor.

RamsDocs addresses this by giving consultants a single environment in which to build, store, review and issue all the documents that the above legal triggers require:

• Risk assessment templates pre-aligned to the Management Regulations regulation 3 recording requirement, with hazard, likelihood, severity, control, and residual risk fields
• COSHH assessment builder covering the COSHH 2002, regulation 6 assessment requirements including exposure route, existing controls, and review trigger
• RAMS production that links a risk assessment directly to method statement steps — so the consultant produces a coherent, traceable document rather than two separate files
• Construction phase plan templates built around CIS80's essential points — key dates, hazard controls, welfare arrangements — ready to populate for each project
• Document version control so that when a risk assessment is reviewed (as regulation 3 requires when there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or following a significant change), the version history is maintained

The result: consultants spend less time on document formatting and more time on site-specific review — which is where the competence that justifies their appointment actually resides. For clients, it means PC review-ready documentation that reflects current regulatory requirements rather than templates last updated in 2018.

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FAQs: Cost, Consultation Process, OSHCR, and Large Consultancy Firms

What does a health and safety consultant cost in the UK? Fees are market-variable and not regulated. Ad-hoc day rates, retained monthly arrangements, and per-document pricing all exist in the market. Confirm pricing directly with at least three suppliers; ask for a fixed-scope retained proposal so you can compare like for like. Do not rely on any published figure as a reliable benchmark — the market range is wide depending on sector experience, geography, and scope.

What is a health and safety consultation and how does it differ from ongoing retained advice? There are two distinct meanings. First, health and safety consultation is the legal duty on employers to consult workers on safety matters — a statutory requirement, not optional. Second, health and safety consultancy is the commercial engagement of an external adviser. A one-off consultancy engagement (sometimes called a "consultation") typically covers an initial needs assessment, gap analysis against current legal duties, and delivery of priority documents. Retained advice is an ongoing arrangement — usually a minimum 12-month term — covering all the recurring documentation needs described in this page.

What is OSHCR and does being listed on it mean a consultant is endorsed by HSE? OSHCR is a register of consultants who can offer advice to UK businesses to help them manage health and safety risks; HSE supports it as a trustworthy means to find consultants who are certified professionals recognised by their professional body and who are up to date on the latest standards. (hse.gov.uk/consultant/find-a-consultant.htm) Listing on OSHCR indicates professional-body certification and currency — it is not an endorsement by HSE of an individual consultant's work, and HSE does not vouch for any consultant's output.

Should I use a large national consultancy firm or an independent consultant? Size is not a reliable proxy for competence. The test — drawn from CDM 2015, regulation 8, which requires skills, knowledge, experience, and where applicable organisational capability — applies regardless of firm size. Verify: sector-specific experience (roofing, groundworks, fit-out — not just generic construction); currency of professional body membership; and whether the individual who will actually work on your account is the one with the relevant credentials, not just a face on a website.

Does engaging a consultant satisfy my legal duties automatically? No. A consultant helps you produce and review the documents that evidence your compliance with specific legal duties. The duty itself — under HSWA 1974, the Management Regulations, CDM 2015, COSHH, and the other instruments described in this page — remains with you as the employer. All documents must be reviewed and adapted to your specific site and tasks before use.

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Disclaimer: This page provides general information about UK health and safety law and consultancy practice. It does not constitute legal advice. All documents referenced — including risk assessments, COSHH assessments, RAMS, and construction phase plans — must be reviewed and adapted to the specific site, task, and contractor by a competent person before being relied upon. RamsDocs templates are designed to support compliant documentation but do not remove the need for site-specific review. Regulatory requirements change; verify current obligations against primary sources before acting.