Posted By Pugwash
Chris
Following is cut and paste from the Health and Safety Executive website

"You must appoint one or more competent persons to help you comply with your duties under health and safety law so that you can prevent accidents and ill health at work. In practice you could appoint:
-yourself (if you are sure you know enough about what you would have to do);
- one or more of your employees, ensuring you give them enough time and other resources to do the job properly;
-someone from outside your business to help you, if neither you nor your employees have sufficient competence (or resources)."

The web page is:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/sm...sinesses/must/advice.htm

So....the advice you have received, as you present it, appears to be incorrect. You can, if you wish, continue with the arrangements which you have had for the past 15 years with a consultant as your "competent person". Many smaller companies take this approach.

Posted By Ian G Hutchings
Chris

The advice you have been given is incorrect, as indicated by the previous posts.

There are plenty of small companies who cannot afford to employ a full time health and safety adviser and happily and successfully use a consultant.

You can also employ a consultant to assist until such time that an internal resource is qualified and deemed competent to take on the role.

Please drop me an email if you need any further clarification.


Regards

Ian

Posted By Tony Brunskill
Chris,

We are based in York and may be able to help. There is a problem with Spam associated with posting email addresses on this site but the office number is 01904 691299.

Posted By J Knight
While I agree that there is no requirement to appoint in-house, employers should be mindful that that is HSE's preference, as can be seen from this statement in the Guidance to the Management Regs:

'When seeking competent assistance employers should look to appoint one or more of their employees, with the necessary means, or themselves, to provide the health and safety assistance required. If there is no relevant competent worker in the organisation or the level of competence is insufficient to assist the employer in complying with health and safety law, the employer should enlist an external service or person.'

Relying entirely on external services should be the position where there is no real possibility of doing it in-house,

John

Posted By David Bannister
As a consultant I always advise my clients that in-house competence is preferable to buying it in, but that there are often occasions when specific expertise is needed (eg statutory inspections, occ.hygiene, ergonomics, complex guarding issues). In these cases it is not reasonable to expect in-house solutions.

Nevertheless, my business depends on my clients still wanting a H&S GP!

Posted By Tabs
Oo.. Oo.. me, me, me ... I can do that!

I even like Yorkshire :-) bye 'eck.

In-house has advantages of continuity and familiarity. Out-sourcing has the advantage of depth, breath, and 'swappability' of experience.

Consider taking a general certificate (2 weeks) to understand why the consultant is asking you to do x, y, and z.

And yes, it appears time to change consultants.

Posted By mark limon
Chris,there are a number of us who are clamouring to get our first "proper" job in safety.
Look on the careers forum,there a three of us from the north east(borders yorkshire) advertising our services,right now.
I have a well paid job now,gaining experience in a dedicated role is more important than reward,look at my post and email me if you wish to know more,
Mark

Posted By Tom Clark
I don't understand where it is becoming embarrassing! There is a need for professional advice and everyone is obviously given their views and offers of help. That's what we are all about.

TBC - Living and working in Yorkshire :-0

Posted By Stuart James Gornall
Chris

The advice you have been given is totally incorrect, as indicated by the previous posts.

There are plenty of small companies who cannot afford to employ a full time health and safety adviser and successfully use a consultant.

Unfortunately there are several Consultancys
(particularly some of the larger service providers) who dont provide the competent persons service because they only visit site once a year and are I believe afraid of the liabilities attached with such an appointment.

By the way as it seems that you have clearly been give bad advice you should question the experience and competency of your present service provider and consider a change