The importance of competent H&S advices

There have been two recent prosecutions which show how critical it is to obtain competent health and safety advice when you outsource this:

In the first one, Self-employed consultant Clive Weal was fined £1,400 for  providing health and safety advice on technical and complex matters while not being qualified to advise his clients in relation to hand arm vibration, work place noise and the control of substances hazardous to health. This resulted in the inadequate recommendation of ‘anti vibration gloves’ as an appropriate control measure and the failure to identify that paints containing isocyanates can cause asthma. See  https://bit.ly/3gtHv2W for details.

In the second one, consultant company S & Ash Ltd was fined £12,716 after a worker developed Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) following their health surveillance.  The employer was fined £147,658.  See https://bit.ly/31grSpk for details.

As a starting point, you need to confirm that your consultant is suitably qualified, with CMIOSH1 or MIIRSM2 as being indicators that he or she meets the initial and continual requirements of a professional body.

For reference, I'm CMIOSH.

As a requirement of membership, you have to operate only within areas of your own competence.  One of my 5 Principles is that I do this, and if your requirement is outside my level of competence, I tell you there and then. And if I can, I will recommend a suitable alternative provider.

1 Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health

2 Member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management