Health & Safety Consulting

Do you offer retainer-based consulting?

Yes, many clients work with us on an ongoing basis, giving them access to HSE expertise without a full-time hire.

Can you support an existing HSE Manager rather than replace one?

Yes, this is one of the most common ways clients use this service, as specialist backup and a second opinion.

What if we just have one specific question or problem?

That's fine too. Not every engagement needs to be a large project. Get in touch and we'll scope what's actually needed.

Can you help us build a safety management system from scratch?

Yes. We build OHS management systems aligned to ISO 45001:2018/AMD1:2024, starting with the context analysis (Clause 4.1), leadership commitment (Clause 5.1), and the policy (Clause 5.2), then working through hazard identification (Clause 6.1.2), legal requirements (Clause 6.1.3), operational controls (Clause 8.1), and performance evaluation (Clause 9.1). We do not deliver a binder of generic procedures — we build a system that your people can actually run, with the documentation depth matched to your operation's risk profile and your clients' expectations.

How do you support a newly appointed HSE Manager?

A new HSE Manager, whether or not they also hold a Section 16(2) assignment, often inherits a system they didn't build and a compliance position they can't yet quantify. We provide a structured first-90-days support package: a rapid compliance baseline assessment, a prioritised action plan, support for the first safety committee meeting, and coaching on the statutory duties and the management-reporting expectations. The goal is to give the new appointee confidence and a defensible position quickly.

Do you act as the outsourced HSE function for businesses that can't afford a full-time hire?

Yes. For SMEs that don't have the volume to justify a full-time HSE Manager, we provide a retained HSE service that covers the statutory functions — risk assessment review, legal appointment support, incident investigation support, training coordination, and compliance reporting — on a monthly retainer. This is not a substitute for a competent person on-site where the law requires one, but it provides the HSE management capability that many smaller businesses need.

Can you help us prepare for a specific client or tender HSE audit?

Yes. We regularly help clients prepare for OEM supplier audits, mining-client contractor audits, and government tender compliance assessments. We review your documentation against the specific audit criteria the client has published, identify the gaps, and help you close them before the audit date.

When an outsourced HSE function makes sense

Outsourcing works best for businesses that have real legal duties but not enough day-to-day HSE work to keep a full-time professional busy: a manufacturer with 40 staff, a logistics depot, a growing contractor. It also works as backup for a stretched in-house HSE Manager.

What outsourcing cannot do is move the legal duty. Under the OHS Act the employer's duty in Section 8 and the CEO's duty in Section 16(1) stay where they are, and a Section 16(2) assignment does not relieve the CEO of responsibility. A good consultant gives you the expertise and the system; your managers still have to run it.

What a monthly retainer should actually cover

At minimum: a scheduled site visit, review of risk assessments when work changes, keeping legal appointments current as people join and leave, support for the health and safety committee (which must meet at least every three months), incident investigation support, a legal register kept up to date with new regulations, and a short monthly report your management can act on. If a retainer proposal doesn't say what you get each month, ask.

The first 90 days

Month one is a baseline: what exists, what works, and what the law requires for your specific operation. Month two fixes the highest-risk gaps first, which are usually appointments, risk assessments for the most dangerous tasks, emergency preparedness and contractor control. Month three turns those fixes into a routine your team can keep up, so compliance doesn't depend on the consultant being on site.

Questions to ask any health and safety consultant

Is your professional registration current, and can I verify it with SAIOSH? Who will actually do the work? Do you carry professional indemnity insurance? Have you worked in my sector? And what do you do when something is outside your competence, such as occupational hygiene monitoring, which must be done by an approved inspection authority, or structural and electrical sign-offs, which need the right engineer? A consultant who is clear about their limits is one you can trust inside them.