You may require the assistance on health & safety matters at the drop of a hat. Smart Safety provides retained safety services to ensure:

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Under UK health and safety law every business needs access to competent health and safety advice that’s relevant to the dangers faced by their workers.

It’s not always cost-effective to hire a member of staff to fulfil this role full-time, but there is a good alternative.

Retained health and safety services provide access to professional advice when it’s needed, helping you avoid fines and potential prosecution if you get it wrong or don’t meet the ever-changing legislative requirements in the health and safety domain.

So what exactly would a retained health and safety consultant offer, and how could you benefit from this type of service?

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What does a retained H&S adviser do?

Using retained health and safety services enables you to stay up-to-date with burgeoning H&S regulations and ensure your business is fully compliant. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) undertakes regular compliance checks on businesses around the country, and places a strong focus on those in high risk industries such as construction.

Here are just a few areas where a retained H&S adviser could help:

• Ongoing health and safety advice

• Risk assessments and safety inspections

• Health and safety training

• Developing or reviewing health and safety policies and procedures

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Using retained health and safety services means your adviser can get to know your business and gain a deeper understanding of the risks faced by employees, providing tailored guidance you can rely on.

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When might you choose to use retained health and safety services?

• When health and safety issues are constantly diverting your attention from running the business

• When your business has recently expanded

• If you’re starting up and want to make sure you meet all your health and safety obligations

• When you’re applying for accreditation or putting out a tender – you’ll need to provide details of a ‘competent’ health and safety contact

• If you need specialist health and safety advice

• When you want reliable guidance on health and safety, or notification when legislation changes

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What are the benefits of using retained health and safety services?

Employing a full-time member of staff to deal with health and safety issues is expensive, but this area of business is important and can’t be ignored – it’s a fine balance between meeting your legal obligations and making sure you’re not distracted from day-to-day business.

Using retained health and safety services is a good compromise as you choose the service level you need, and control your costs.

Whether it’s identifying gaps in an established H&S regime or formulating brand new policies and procedures, reliable guidance takes the pressure away.

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What Does Retained Consultancy Mean?

Retained health and safety support is an ongoing service.

You pay a fixed monthly or annual fee, and in return, you get access to a consultant who works with you regularly.

They’re essentially your go-to person for all things health and safety, acting almost like an extension of your team.

They’ll usually help with things like reviewing and updating your policies, conducting site audits, managing risk assessments, offering staff training and giving advice when laws change. It’s consistent, proactive support that gives you confidence your responsibilities are being taken care of.