The Ultimate Guide to Outsourced Health and Safety Services
Learn everything you need to know about outsourcing health and safety for your business! Learn everything
The Ultimate Guide to Outsourced Health and Safety Services
Learn everything you need to know about outsourcing health and safety for your business!
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The Ultimate Guide to Outsourced Health and Safety Services
Learn everything you need to know about outsourcing health and safety for your business!
There are a lot of really exciting things about running a business. Health and safety isn’t one of them. And yes, although it’s not the most exciting topic out there, it’s still an integral part of your operations that helps protect your staff, customers, and reputation.
For many businesses, the sheer scope of health and safety responsibilities can be overwhelming. Given how crucial it is, as well as required by law in some cases, you cannot afford to get this wrong. That’s where outsourcing comes in.
But what is health and safety outsourcing? What are the benefits of it? And how can it help your business?
Well, you’re about to find out all of that and more in our ultimate guide to outsourcing health and safety services!
What Are Outsourced Health and Safety Services?
Outsourced health and safety services involve delegating some or all of your legal health and safety responsibilities to a qualified external provider. These professionals then handle everything from risk assessments and managing documentation to delivering training and ensuring you meet all regulatory standards. If it involves health and safety within your business, they’ve got you covered.
If you don’t already have a dedicated internal team handling these matters, then outsourcing is a practical, efficient, and cost-effective solution to ensure your business remains safe and compliant.
Why is Health and Safety Important?
Health and safety in the UK is governed by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This was a landmark piece of legislation that places a legal duty on all employers to guarantee, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and others who may be affected by their work.
Although there is a running joke about “health and safety gone mad,” it’s essential in keeping your staff, employees, and reputation safe. Breaking health and safety laws is also no laughing matter and can result in unlimited fines, business closure, and even imprisonment.
Outsourcing helps you avoid these consequences by meeting these legal requirements and providing ongoing support from industry-accredited consultants. This external support provides technical expertise and peace of mind, ensuring your workplace is compliant, well-prepared for audits, and aligned with health and safety best practices.
What are the Benefits of Outsourcing Your Health and Safety?
Access to Specialist Expertise
Outsourcing your health and safety needs provides you with immediate access to industry professionals. They possess a deep understanding of best practices, up-to-date knowledge of relevant legal requirements, recent changes, and industry standards. Typically, they’ll have worked across various industries, giving them the insight to identify potential hazards that others might miss.
If you don’t already have an in-house safety team, you can benefit from professional guidance and support without the expense of recruiting, training, and staffing in-house specialists.
Legal Compliance Assurance
Health and safety laws are no joke. You’re duty-bound to enforce the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 within your workplace. Fail to follow these guidelines, and you could be subject to an unlimited fine and even prison time in some cases.
These laws are constantly evolving, and keeping up with these changes can be overwhelming, tedious, and time-consuming. You don’t have time to constantly understand what a minute change to the wording of a piece of legislation means. You’re too busy running a business: that’s what hiring professionals is for!
An outsourced advisor will stay on top of all legislation changes on your behalf and ensure that your business remains compliant. This helps to avoid legal troubles, fines, imprisonment and potentially irreversible damage to your reputation.
With their support, you can navigate through the complex legal side of health and safety and sleep soundly at night knowing you’re on the right side of any regulations.
Cost Savings
Did you know that an in-house health and safety officer can cost your business up to £47,282 per year in wages. Then you have to factor in recruitment and training costs as well as any benefits that your business may offer its employees. So why not save yourself all that time and money by outsourcing?
Hiring externally eliminates all of these overheads, while also granting your business access to experienced professionals. Most providers will allow you to tailor your service, meaning you will only pay for the services that you require, be it a one-time audit, monthly inspections, or a retained advisor.
This more calculated approach provides expert advice at a fraction of the cost, freeing up funds for other areas of your business without compromising on quality.
Reduced Risk of Fines and Litigation
We briefly touched on this earlier, but non-compliance and poor safety management can have serious consequences. Unlimited fines, drawn-out and expensive legal disputes, potentially irreversible damage to your reputation, business shutdowns and even prison time.
Given the number of things that can go wrong, is it really worth the risk of overlooking health and safety within your business?
Outsourced consultants help identify risks early on and implement preventive measures to stop minor issues from developing into significant problems. Their expertise, enforcement procedures and preventative audits reduce the risk of regulatory action and, in turn, the worst-case scenarios mentioned above.
Improved Workplace Safety Culture
A strong safety culture helps protect your staff while also increasing morale, productivity, and retention. Outsourced professionals often lead by example, reinforcing the importance of health and safety through training tailored towards your workplace, employee engagement, and clear communication.
When your team feels that their well-being is a priority, they’re more likely to follow protocols, report hazards, and contribute to an overall safer environment.
Operational Efficiency
Delegating health and safety responsibilities to a trusted external partner allows your team to do what you’re paying them to do: their jobs! Rather than diverting their attention to compliance paperwork, inspections, audits or training, your team can concentrate on actually doing their jobs and focus on more important tasks at hand.
Having someone focus solely on health and safety matters improves workflow, streamlines processes, and reduces the burden on overstretched staff, ultimately enhancing their performance.
Scalability and Flexibility
As your business evolves, you will likely find that so do your health and safety needs. Outsourcing provides a scalable service tailored to your business stage and sector. Being able to ramp up (or scale back) your needs easily is something that can be easily achieved by hiring external specialists, and far more difficult with internal roles.
This makes it perfect for businesses that are seasonally dependent, project-based, or rapidly growing.
On-Demand Support and Resources
You can’t put a price on peace of mind, and that’s exactly what these services offer. From urgent accident investigations to last-minute audits, outsourced specialists provide you with responsive support when you need it the most.
Typically, you’ll benefit from a 24/7 advice line, rapid site visits and a library of ready-to-access resources such as risk assessment templates and training modules.
This availability ensures that your business can handle any emergency or compliance check that comes its way—no panic, no fuss, and always well-prepared.
Objective External Perspective
With internal specialists, routine and familiarity within the workplace can lead to hidden risks being left undetected. But complacency is never an issue when you call in the pros. An outsourced consultant brings a fresh perspective and unbiased viewpoint that leaves no stone unturned.
They’re not influenced by office politics or people-pleasing, and are there to do one thing only: ensure your workplace is safe. This objectivity can be the difference between passing all your inspections, or failing because your internal advisor didn’t want to upset Karen from accounts by moving her desk, which is blocking a fire escape.
Enhanced Reputation and Audit Readiness
Your reputation is everything, and if you break health and safety regulations, yours could be irreparably damaged. On the flip side, showing a commitment to taking it seriously can build trust with your customers, employees, insurance providers and regulators.
Outsourced professionals create and maintain crucial pieces of documents, including training logs and risk assessments, making them easily available and up-to-date when clients or auditors come knocking. You may even find that this professionalism can also strengthen bids for new contracts, particularly in industries where safety standards are a key evaluation metric.
Prevention of Incidents and Insurance Claims
If a staff member is injured on your premises, then they’re missing a few days’ work, which is the least of your concerns. Financial losses, downtime and increased insurance premiums are now all realities you’re facing. Outsourcing helps to identify root causes of hazards and implement mitigation strategies that reduce the likelihood of incidents.
Fewer claims mean more favourable insurance costs and uninterrupted business continuity.
Access to Specialist Tools and Documentation
Many outsourced firms provide you with toolkits including digital templates, policy documents, checklists, and training portals. These ready-made resources save hours of admin work and ensure consistency across departments. Instead of reinventing the wheel or trying to build your procedures from scratch, you’ll benefit from systems that are already tried, tested, and regulator-approved.
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What Types of Services Are Available?
Health and Safety Management Systems
Outsourcing the development and management of health and safety systems enables your business to access the expertise of trusted professionals who stay current with ever-changing legislation and best practices. These systems are personalised and identify the specific risks and operational requirements of your business. This ensures that you stay on the right side of stringent regulations and have a robust risk management strategy in place to protect your staff, customers and reputation.
Some providers will take on full responsibility, which includes creating, updating and maintaining all policies and procedures on your behalf so your internal teams can focus on their jobs, instead of being sidetracked by complex health and safety legislation.
Hiring of a Competent Person
Although a rather patronising term (everyone in your business is competent…we hope), hiring an external ‘competent person’ is another service your business can benefit from.
In the world of health and safety, this is someone appointed by an employer to help ensure their workplace complies with health and safety laws. They must possess sufficient experience, knowledge, and skills to identify hazards, assess risks, and provide practical solutions to keep people safe from harm.
With that in mind, you could train someone with all of this at great expense and time to yourself. Or just hire an external one. Bearing in mind that you are legally required to have at least one ‘competent person’ in your business, as per the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
If you work in a high-risk industry, then having someone who knows your sector like the back of their hand is absolutely essential.
Risk Assessments and Method Statements
Professional consultants can be brought in to conduct detailed risk assessments of your business. These typically involve a comprehensive evaluation of potential workplace hazards and then developing a method statement, which outlines the safe methods for performing specific tasks. This keeps your business compliant while also reducing the likelihood of workplace accidents, including both common hazards and those unique to your business.
Health and Safety Policies and Procedures
Outsourced experts help you draft, review, and update health and safety policies and procedures and train your team in best practices. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, these policies are, of course, tailored to your specific needs. This lets you sleep soundly at night knowing that all of your documentation is legally compliant.
Having an archive of up-to-date policies in place demonstrates your commitment to employee wellbeing and can be a crucial part of your passing or failing audits and inspections. Most providers will offer ongoing support as part of this service, ensuring your business remains up to date with the ever-evolving world of health and safety.
Compliance Audits and Site Inspections
Regular audits and site visits are the foundation of any successful health and safety plan and are vital for maintaining high safety standards. This is why having consultants routinely assess the effectiveness of your safety measures against the HSE Management Standards (HSG65) is so important. They can help identify gaps in your current practices and offer actionable insights for improvement.
These audits are especially valuable if you operate across multiple sites or in high-risk industries, as they provide consistent standards throughout your operations and help to prepare for stringent regulatory inspections.
Advice and Support Lines
Accidents don’t work on a schedule, and neither do external health and safety professionals. Many will come with access to 24/7 advice and support lines, allowing you to resolve issues or respond to incidents as they arise. This is an invaluable service, as nipping problems in the bud early can prevent a snowballing effect and save you from some expensive headaches down the road.
Incident and Accident Investigation
No matter how many measures you put in place, sometimes accidents are inevitable. Now, it’s on you to figure out what went wrong. And by you, we mean the outsourcing professionals you’ve hired.
These health and safety CSI teams examine key information, including physical evidence and CCTV footage, to identify the root causes of the incident. Then, based on what they find, they’ll advise you on the best course of action to take. Hiring an accident investigation team not only helps prevent recurrence but also demonstrates due diligence to regulators and insurers.
Training and Staff Development
Outsourced providers deliver a range of accredited training options, from classroom sessions to e-learning, tailored to different roles and risk profiles. This ensures that all staff are aware of their responsibilities and equipped to work safely. Ongoing training also helps foster a proactive safety culture, reducing the risk of accidents and improving overall performance.
Fire Safety Consultancy
Any guesses on what fire safety consultancy involves? These specialist consultants conduct risk assessments, provide advice on compliance, and assist in implementing effective fire safety measures. Proper fire procedures are crucial for protecting your staff, customers, property, and business continuity, and need to be taken very seriously.
Remember, as famous fire safety officer Keith Lard once said: “Smoke kills in seconds, fire kills in minutes, and there’s no smoke without fire.” Wise words indeed.
Accreditation Support
Achieving essential industry certifications such as CHAS, SMAS, SafeContractor, Acclaim, Achilles, and ConstructionLine can be a complex process. Hiring external teams to help guide you through these procedures can make this a much smoother journey.
Typically, this will begin with an initial consultation to understand your current health and safety practices and goals, followed by a detailed review of your policies, risk assessments, and training records to ensure they meet accreditation requirements.
Using this information, you will be presented with a tailored action plan as well as assistance with final documentation and submission. This makes the process clear and manageable, and an absolute breeze to get qualified.
Software and Online Management Tools
Many providers offer cloud-based platforms for managing health and safety documentation, training records, and incident reporting. These tools streamline compliance, facilitate due diligence, and provide real-time oversight of safety performance across the organisation. Because who has time to sift through mountains of paperwork in this day and age?
Food Safety Support
Don’t be known as “that place that gave my friend food poisoning.” Word of mouth spreads quicker than salmonella and can seriously impact the success of your business.
If your business handles food in any way, shape, or form, then outsourced consultants can provide specialist advice on food safety regulations, risk assessments, and policy development. This ensures compliance with sector-specific legislation and helps protect customers from the risk of illness or infection, while also maintaining your reputation.
Behavioural Safety and Culture Change
Did you know that up to 80% of workplace accidents stem from human behaviour? The best way to combat this? Cultural change within workplaces.
Outsourcing the processes behind this can help your team observe, understand, and be positively influenced through leadership examples, team involvement, clear goal setting, and regular feedback. Through open communication, practical learning and positive reinforcement, consultants can come in and change your workplace for the better.
Construction and Site-Specific Services
For construction and other high-risk sectors, outsourced providers deliver site-specific risk assessments, construction phase plans, and regular site visits. This ensures ongoing compliance and safety throughout every stage of a project, helping to manage the unique risks associated with these environments.
Tips for Choosing the Right Provider for You
Check Qualifications and Accreditations
When selecting a health and safety provider, always verify their professional qualifications and accreditations. If they have certifications from any of these respected bodies, then this should be seen as a good sign:
- IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health)
- IIRSM (International Institute of Risk and Safety Management)
- CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme)
These accreditations demonstrate that the provider adheres to industry best practices and standards and has been independently assessed for its quality.
Sector-Specific Experience
Some providers will have a wider net when it comes to industries they have experience in, while others may be more specialised. The latter could be invaluable if you work in a niche or high-risk sector. Health and safety risks, regulations, and best practices can vary significantly across industries—what works for a construction firm may not be suitable for a care home.
Finding a partner with a proven history in your field provides you with hands-on experience, understanding of operational challenges, regulatory compliance, and the practical realities of your specific needs.
Legal Support Availability
Health and safety law can be complex, and staying compliant with regulations is crucial to the survival of your business.
Opt for a provider who can offer legal support, whether that’s guidance on compliance, help with responding to enforcement notices, or representation during inspections and investigations. Even better if they have an established relationship or partnership with specialist or industry-specific solicitors.
Technology and Platforms Offered
Stacks of paperwork are a thing of the past. It’s all about the software these days.
Assess the platforms and tools that they have on offer. Make sure they’re both fit for purpose and simple (or advanced if you’re tech-savvy) enough for you and your team to use properly. Dashboards, trackers, documentation templates, automated reporting: you name it, they’ve got it!
The easier this is for you to get to grips with, the more you’ll benefit. A provider that offers a robust, but intuitive platform can help you streamline your paperwork, save time and have an easily accessible digital trail for any audits you’re subject to.
Responsiveness and Emergency Support
In the event of an incident or emergency, you’ll require immediate support. That’s why 24/7 support should be a non-negotiable. Ask potential providers about their response times, availability outside normal business hours, and their process for urgent support.
A responsive provider not only helps you manage crises more effectively but also gives you confidence that expert help is always within reach.
Always Check the Reviews
Sales reps can promise you the world and tell you how great they are until the cows come home. But that’s not always the case. Before putting pen to paper, ensure you conduct your own research and review the feedback.
Sites like Trustpilot and Google Reviews are always a great place to start. These give you real-world testimonials from past and present customers.
Don’t worry too much about a couple of negative reviews (people love to complain). But if you notice a pattern when it comes to comments—both good and bad—then you should take these very seriously.
You can also check for any regulatory inspection data or evidence that they have previously operated in your industry. This way, you can have a clearer, more objective view of what these providers really have to offer.
How Can I Get Health and Safety Services for My Business?
Understanding health and safety legislation is complicated. Getting protected doesn’t have to be. That’s why at Commercial Experts, we’ve made it our mission to help UK businesses like yours find the best solutions for their business, and we’d love for you to be our next success story.
All you have to do is tap the button below and answer a few questions about your business. Then, based on your responses, you will receive a range of quotes from some of the UK’s leading health and safety providers tailored to meet your specific needs.
All quotes are 100% free and non-committal, so what are you waiting for?
FAQs
What is OSHE?
OSHE stands for Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment. It refers to the policies, procedures, and practices that protect workers’ health and safety while also managing environmental impact. It ensures that businesses operate responsibly, meet legal standards, and promote a safe and sustainable workplace.
What is outsourced health and safety?
Outsourced health and safety refers to a business hiring an external expert to manage its legal safety responsibilities. This includes audits, risk assessments, training, and ensuring compliance with UK regulations, allowing businesses to stay protected without needing an in-house safety team.
What are the legal requirements for health and safety in the UK?
Employers must comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This includes protecting the welfare of employees and anyone affected by business operations, as well as ensuring compliance with supporting regulations, such as COSHH, RIDDOR, and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
What types of businesses should consider outsourcing their health and safety responsibilities?
SMEs, high-risk sectors (like construction or manufacturing), healthcare providers, and fast-growing businesses often benefit from outsourcing. It offers expert support, legal protection, and cost savings—especially for those without a dedicated internal team or facing complex compliance requirements.
How can I get outsourced health and safety services for my business?
Simply click the button on this page and answer a few short questions about your business. You’ll receive free, no-obligation quotes from leading UK health and safety providers—tailored to your needs, sector, and goals. Quick, simple, and fully compliant support is just one click away.
