Guidance · Reviewed October 2026
What a health and safety consultant does, when the law expects you to get competent help, whether to use your own people or bring someone in, and how to choose a consultant you can rely on.
The short answer
Every employer must appoint one or more competent persons to help them meet their health and safety duties. That can be you, an employee or an external consultant, and the law prefers someone in-house where you have them. A consultant is useful where you lack the knowledge or time yourself, but hiring one does not transfer your legal duties: they remain with the employer.
The Legal Starting Point
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees, and must not put other people at risk through their work.
Regulation 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 then requires every employer to appoint one or more competent persons to assist them. A competent person has enough training, experience, knowledge and other qualities to help properly. Where a competent employee is available, the regulations say they should be appointed in preference to someone from outside.
For many smaller, lower-risk businesses, that competent person is the owner or a manager who has done some training. A consultant makes sense where the risks are more complex, the business is growing, or nobody in-house has the time or depth of knowledge.
What a Health and Safety Consultant Does
Audits and inspections
An independent look at your workplace and arrangements, with a report on what needs to change. See health and safety audits.
Policy and risk assessment
Helping you write a health and safety policy and carry out risk assessments that reflect how your business actually works.
Management systems
Setting up health and safety management systems and safe systems of work, including support towards ISO 45001.
Ongoing advice
A retained adviser you can call on for questions, accident investigations and changes in the business. See health and safety advice.
Specialist areas
Fire, asbestos, CDM, occupational hygiene and similar topics often need a specialist rather than a generalist.
Training
Identifying what your people need and, in some cases, delivering it. Building competence in-house often reduces how much outside help you need.
In-House or Consultant?
| If your situation is… | Usual route |
|---|---|
| Small, low-risk business such as an office or shop | Do it yourself with HSE guidance, supported by training such as IOSH Managing Safely |
| Growing business with no one responsible for health and safety | A consultant to set things up, while training someone in-house to take it over |
| Higher-risk work such as construction or manufacturing | A competent in-house lead, with consultants for specialist topics |
| Building health and safety expertise in your team | NEBOSH courses or IOSH courses |
How to Choose a Consultant
Anyone can call themselves a health and safety consultant, so check before you appoint. Useful questions:
- What qualifications do you hold, such as a NEBOSH Diploma, and are you a chartered member of a professional body such as IOSH?
- What experience do you have with businesses of our type, size and risk level?
- Exactly what will you deliver, and which duties stay with us?
- Will the advice be proportionate to our risks, or a generic pack of documents?
- What professional indemnity insurance do you carry?
- How will you help us become more self-sufficient over time?
Our sister site, Raybee, helps you find health and safety consultants covering your area so you can compare a few before deciding.
Proportionate, not paperwork
HSE’s advice is that most businesses can manage health and safety themselves, and that good advice should be proportionate to the risks. Be wary of anyone who says you need large volumes of documents for a low-risk workplace, or who claims a certificate or package makes you “fully compliant”. A consultant supports your decisions; they cannot take the legal responsibility for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to hire a health and safety consultant?
No. The law requires you to appoint one or more competent persons to help you, which can be yourself or an employee. A consultant is only needed if you do not have that competence in-house, and even then the regulations prefer a competent employee where one is available.
Does hiring a consultant make us compliant?
No. A consultant can advise, assess and help you put arrangements in place, but the legal duties stay with the employer. You still have to act on the advice and keep your arrangements working.
What qualifications should a health and safety consultant have?
There is no single legal qualification. Look for a degree-level qualification such as a NEBOSH Diploma, chartered membership of a professional body such as IOSH, and experience in your sector. For specialist topics like asbestos or fire, look for the qualifications specific to that field.
How much does a health and safety consultant cost?
There is no standard rate. Fees depend on the size and risk of the business, the scope of work, and whether it is a one-off audit or an ongoing retainer. Ask for a written scope listing exactly what is included, and compare on that rather than on headline price.
Related Guidance
General guidance only, reviewed October 2026 against the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and HSE guidance. Envico is an independent training intermediary and is not affiliated with the HSE.