Can anyone recommend a reputable H&S consultancy firm based in the UK with a technical / engineering background? We have an issue with a particular process, and would like to gain an external opinion on it by reviewing the process, associated procedures and to conduct their own risk assessment. This can be done in-house, but for a number of reasons we need an external party for it. So who's the big guns in the UK? Thanks.

Hi, I think you should work with colleagues in your company who are involved in the process on a daily basis to understand the problem and agree on control measures needed to control the process to make it safe. External consultancy will use your own people to assess the risk and put in control measure at the company's cost. When it comes to risk assessment, the best person to identify hazard and control measure is the person who actually does the work.

It depends upon the complexity of the nature of the problem you are having, industry sector and what branch of technical engineering "consultancy" do you need to resolve it. I have sent you a PM --they may not be cheap, but are reputable.

Jacobs Engineering!

As I see it: An external consultant is not part of the organisation with the constraints that that can impose. He can often make comments that would not be acceptable from someone employed in the organisation. In certain circumstances a specialist consultant will have in-depth knowledge and expertise that a general health and safety advisor cannot possess. Just as with medicine we have the GP and then specialists in many different disciplines, so it needs to be with health and safety. The advantage, therefore, of a specialist consultant is that he or she may often be able (a) to identify where controls are not adequate and (b) be in a position to make appropriate recommendations. A generalist might struggle to achieve this and might even miss key factors. Of course, this presupposes that the organisation has correctly identified the specialisation required!

Phillip If all you are looking for is a general health and safety consultant, then perhaps the register would be a starting point. However, keep in mind that it is still incumbent on the person seeking a consultant to ensure that they are competent. The register does not guarantee that. On the other hand, if what you are seeking is someone with a specialist knowledge, but not a generalist, then the register will not really help you, since the specialist may not qualify to be on the register as they would not necessarily have the appropriate 'qualifications'. Chris

For engineering I would start by speaking to my old friend Peter Gotch who regularly contributes to this forum. At least I know he would primarily be professional, honest and pragmatic.