Rank: Forum user 
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I have recently been advised that I will be made redundant as the company I work for has been swallowed up by a far larger competitor who does not value Health and Safety management and have no such role for me.
I am busy looking for opportunities out there as I have excellent Health and Safety skills in Aviation and associated industries and in Facilities Management.
I am also considering striking out on my own as a consultant but I a have always been an employee and have never worked for myself has anyone got any good experiences of how they started as a consultant they could share.
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Rank: New forum user 
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Sorry to hear about your redundancy situation. The same thing happened to me about 15 years ago and like yourself I had always worked direct for a company.
There is nothing to fear as I have been working for myself ever since (through an agency) and I can recommend it once you have taken the plunge.
I would recommend:
Finding a good agency (look in the back of SHP magazine).
Setting up a limited company (your accountant can do this for you).
Opening a Company bank account at the earliest opportunity
Getting a good accountant.
Considering joining the Professional Contractors Group (PCG) who can offer further advice. Check out there website.
Good luck for the future!
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Rank: Super forum user
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Flysafe
This month, I clocked up thirty years 'flying solo' and offer simple observations about matters easily overlooked
1. Effective consulting relies on the best possible combination of decision-making, both about business and about people
2. Effective consulting relies on the best possible working relationships, especially with clients, including past clients and potential clients - and those that are not the right match for you, whom you're better off not working with
3. Effective consulting is a lifelong game.
Read 'The Trusted Advisor', D Maister, C Green and a.n.other, The Free Press, 2002
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Spot on KieranD - totally agree. It would be good for you to take note flysafe as it’s not for everyone & I've seen many fall by the wayside thinking it’s just all about qualifications, knowledge & networking..... yes they are included of course, but there is a hell of a lot more to it..............to be successful and longevity.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Government action in setting up the Loftstedt enquiry surfaced concerns felt amongst businesspeople about the extent of 'red tape' associated with occupaitonal safety and health (although in fact complaints about the volume of employment law much more broadly attracted the attention of Norman Tebbitt in the early phase of the Thatcher government in the 1980s.)
As law is an insufficient and risky basis for business development unless you're qualified as a lawyer, it's advisable to consider another dimension of your practice needed by business leaders and managers. Although regrettably I didn't do so at the outset, I gradually learned how much of a positive difference enabling them to gather and use statistical data well.
Not simply about occupational safety and health - although how often are systematic reliable data collected and analysed in this sphere? - but about a huge range of behaviour and effectiveness at work, for really good uses of stats inform all sound commercial, production and business development decision-making.
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Rank: Forum user
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I think you make a very good point KieranD; some of your prospective clients will possibly have H&S personnel. So what can you offer differently?
A friend of mine works as a consultant and specialised in Behavioural Safety of which clients brought him in to support their own H&S team when required due to his specialist knowledge.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Up until 3 months ago I had always worked for an organisation, but for a number of reasons I decided to enter the world of consultancy.
During the lead up to this I asked for advice from a number of sources & was fortunate to meet up with an existing H&S consultant who kindly found the time to meet me & outline his experiences.
I have decided initially to become a "sole trader" as I felt that, at the moment, it suits my particular situation; opened a business account which has given me the services of a "small business adviser" &, 2 years free banking!; set up self assessment for NI & tax purposes & also purchased PI & PL insurance with a provider that is extremely flexible (NB most standard PI policies are full of exclusions, e.g. construction, asbestos, etc.).
Designed & purchased business cards, headed paper, etc. & have freely given out the cards at every opportunity, resulting in 3 positive leads.
Networking is vital, as well as being "visible" at meetings, seminars, etc.
I did have the luxury of planning towards this move & everything was in place when I left my employment & the upshot is that I wouldn't say that I am massively busy, but have some steady work (& income!) & am hopefully going to have something else in place in September.
Good luck & best wishes if you decided on this move.
Zyggy
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Rank: Super forum user
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Recalling the explicit question at the outset was about 'any good experiences of how they started as a consultant they could share', I've realised that several good experiences in my work before I took off on my own provided memories that stood me in good stead later on that I didn't fully appreciate at the time.
For I worked successively in the education/training department of two leading national employers organistions in the construction industry and from time to time visited large complex sites as well as colleges and training centres. I had the opportunity not only to listen to good training but also to observe good practice on the part of site management; statistics were used relatively well and I also noticed how safety issues always formed a central part of negotiations between representatives of employers and trade unions (and government in the background).
As I later gradually became actively involved in safety as a psychologist and ergonomist, I recalled these influences since the starting point of safe behaviour, more often than not, was in training operatives and managers to observe behaviour accurately so that discussion and decisions were/are based on real data, not on emotions or fantasies. Unless they suffer from impaired senses, people are capable of accurate observation of behaviour yet it's invariably quite an effort to communicate the simple message of its foundation in high-hazard situations such as construction sites in action. Too often, it requires an accident to make the point to all concerned.
Very much the same observation and communciations skills are also needed in selling, negotiations and other kinds of business development.
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