Health & Safety Consultants -
H&S Services in the South-East
Health and safety consultants, on your side
Need a fully retained health and safety consultant acting as your legal “competent person”? Or are you looking for one-off support such as a risk assessment or policy review? We can help.
SMC Safety Solutions is a health and safety consultancy providing outsourced advice, audits and documentation to businesses across London, Essex, Kent, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
Working as an extension of your team, we support businesses of every size; from sole traders and small businesses that have never had dedicated health and safety support before, through to established construction organisations with complex compliance needs.
If you’re searching for a health and safety consultancy service near you, contact our team to find out what we do, how a consultant can help your business, and what it typically costs.
Your trusted, legal "competent person"
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer in the UK has a legal duty to appoint a “competent person” to help them meet their health and safety obligations.
However, for many small and medium-sized businesses, employing a full-time health and safety officer isn’t practical. This is where an outsourced health and safety consultant comes in.
As your competent person, SMC Safety Solutions takes on this legal responsibility on your behalf: identifying risk, advising on control measures, keeping your documentation current, and making sure your business can demonstrate compliance if the HSE ever comes calling.
You get the same protection as an in-house officer, without the overhead of a full-time hire.
Health and safety consultancy services: backed by expertise and tailored to you
We offer an extensive range of health and safety consultancy services to ensure you get the support you need, whatever that looks like. From a single audit through to a fully retained advisor, we can provide the right solution for your business.
Audits, inspections & risk assessments
- Health and safety audits and site inspections
- General workplace risk assessments
- Manual handling risk assessments
- Pregnancy and maternity risk assessments
- COSHH assessments (control of substances hazardous to health)
- Fire risk assessments
Documentation, policy & compliance
- Health and safety policy writing and review
- Safe systems of work and method statements
- RIDDOR reporting support and guidance
- Health and safety legislation compliance reviews
- Health and safety signage audits
Construction & CDM
- Health and safety in construction
- CDM (Construction (Design and Management) Regulations) consultancy and compliance
- Construction site safety audits and site signage
- Principal Contractor support
Training & competent person support
- Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)
- Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS)
- Fire marshal training
- First aid training
- Asbestos Awareness
- Ongoing “competent person” retainer support
- Various other training courses
Ongoing & retained support
- Fully outsourced health and safety consultancy
- Retained health and safety advisor packages
- Ad-hoc/on-demand consultant visits
- On-site visits across London, Essex, Kent, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire
Health and safety support for your sector
Small businesses
Many small businesses come to us because they’ve outgrown “doing health and safety in-house” but don’t need a full-time hire. We scale our support to fit, from a single policy review to a fully retained service. So a health and safety consultancy is affordable at any business size.
Construction
CDM compliance, Construction Phase Plans (CPP), site audits, method statements and site-specific risk assessments for contractors and Principal Contractors.
Offices & general commercial
Core compliance: risk assessments, fire safety, DSE, and policy documentation for standard workplace environments.
Our consultancy process
Working with SMC is straightforward.
1. Initial consultation
We discuss your business, current arrangements and compliance requirements.
2. Site visit
Where required, one of our consultants visits your premises to understand your workplace and identify risks.
3. Recommendations
You’ll receive practical advice, clear documentation and an action plan tailored to your business.
4. Ongoing support
For retained clients, we continue providing advice, documentation updates and scheduled site visits throughout the year.
How much does a health and safety consultant cost?
There’s no one-size-fits-all price for health and safety consultancy, because the right level of support depends on your business, not a fixed package. The main factors that affect cost are:
- Business size: the number of employees and sites you operate.
- Sector risk level: a construction site typically needs more involved support than a low-risk office.
- Type of support: a one-off audit or risk assessment is priced differently to an ongoing retained “competent person” service.
- Frequency of visits: on-site support scheduled monthly, quarterly or annually is priced accordingly.
Rather than quote a generic day rate that may not reflect what your business actually needs, we provide a free, no-obligation quote after a short conversation about your business. This ensures the figure you get is accurate to you, not an average.
FAQs
What does a health and safety consultant do?
A health and safety consultant helps a business meet its legal duty of care by carrying out risk assessments, audits and site inspections, writing and reviewing policies and procedures, and acting as the organisation’s “competent person” under UK health and safety law. They advise on compliance, deliver staff training, and support businesses during HSE visits or after an incident.
How much does a health and safety consultant charge?
There’s no fixed price for health and safety consultancy. The cost depends on factors like your business size, sector risk level, and whether you need a one-off service or an ongoing retained arrangement. Because of this, we provide a free, tailored quote based on your specific business rather than a generic rate that may not apply to you.
What is health and safety?
Health and safety is the set of laws, policies and practices designed to prevent injury, illness and harm to people at work. In the UK, it’s primarily governed by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which places a legal duty on employers to protect employees, visitors and members of the public.
Who is responsible for health and safety in the workplace?
Employers hold the primary legal responsibility for health and safety in the workplace, including assessing risks, providing training, and maintaining safe systems of work. Employees also have a duty to take reasonable care of their own safety and that of others, and to cooperate with their employer’s health and safety arrangements.
Why is health and safety important in the workplace?
Effective health and safety management protects employees from injury and ill health, reduces absence and liability costs, and keeps a business compliant with UK law. Beyond the legal requirement, a strong safety culture also improves staff retention and protects a company’s reputation.
What is the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the UK’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It sets standards, provides guidance, investigates serious incidents, and has the power to inspect workplaces and take enforcement action against businesses that fail to meet their legal obligations.
What is a safe system of work?
A safe system of work is a formal procedure that sets out the safest way to carry out a task, based on a risk assessment of the hazards involved. It typically covers the people, equipment, materials and environment involved, and is a legal requirement for higher-risk activities.
Do I need a health and safety consultant, or can I manage this myself?
UK law doesn’t require every business to hire an external consultant, but it does require every employer to appoint a “competent person” and to demonstrate that suitable risk assessments and policies are in place. For businesses without in-house health and safety expertise, an outsourced consultant is usually the most practical and cost-effective way to meet this legal duty properly.
What are an employer’s health and safety responsibilities?
Employers must assess workplace risks, provide a safe working environment, supply necessary training and protective equipment, maintain up-to-date health and safety policies, and report certain workplace incidents under RIDDOR. These duties apply regardless of business size.
How often should a health and safety audit be carried out?
This depends on the size and risk profile of the business; however, most organisations benefit from a full audit annually, with more frequent reviews for higher-risk environments such as construction sites, or after any significant change to premises, equipment or working practices.