Posted By Mike Parks
I recently spoke to one of my employer's H&S committe members that I had approached our consultant about assisting him. He mentioned (jokingly) that maybe the consultant was protecting his own job position by not mentioning it at the meeting. As it may mean that eventually they might not need his services. After all, an employee as an H&S adviser would probably work out a lot cheaper than a consultants fee.

This made me wonder that may be his joke was not so far off the mark. After all in the present job climate no job is really secure.

So my question is (especially to external consultants) would you encourage an employer to train up one of their own staff if it meant your own position would not be so certain ?

Look forward to your replies.

Mike.

Posted By Chris Packham
I would agree that the aim should be to train up the client's people so that they are competent to take on the responsibility. It is what we always try to do.

However, being people who have specialised in one specific aspect of health and safety we have clients who accept that they cannot ensure that they are up to date in all aspects of such a wide topic as health and safety. Some of these work with us on an on-going basis, relying on us to keep them up to date and to monitor what they are doing to ensure it is as it should be.

Chris

Posted By Nigel Bryson
Mike

Yes.

I'm an external consultant and a key objective is to try and get an organisation to develop their internal resources and people: so long as they are the right people and they are supported. This brings its own difficulties of course.

Clients may be simply looking for results and want the consultant to deliver them. They may only pick bits of what a consultant proposes. However there may be compelling reasons why a client uses a consultant or consultancy. It could be to cover a fixed time project or work that is not normally done by the client, for example.

Given that my central work relates to employee involvement there is no choice: you can motivate people but, in the end, they need to develop their own approach. If 'continuous improvement' is to mean anything, an organisation should develop its own people.

There may be a need to use consultants to cover a specific area which is uneconomic for a client to cover; help provide a strategic overview in larger companies; help provide advice on organisational change, legal matters, training people etc. There are a variety of reasons why a consultant is retained by a client.

The fact that a contract or piece of work comes to an end is just part of the consultant's world. On those occasions where clients do develop their own people, it may be that what is being asked of the consultant can change as well.

I suppose the test is whether or not the consultant is adding value to the client's business.

Cheers.

Nigel

Posted By Safe System
That's how i got into H&S.. we had a very good consultant.. i worked alongside him while i was training and then he was phased out.

Joined a new company again, phasing out the existing consultant.

I have always encouraged my bosses to never burn bridges though.. on that rare occasion i am on holiday then they call the consultant in and i have also arranged the consultant to carry out quarterly "audits" on me to ensure that i am always on the button.