Consultants: What to look for when engaging a WH&S consultant
Engaging a consultant to review your workplace health and safety practices is an investment in your businesses reputation, productivity and ongoing success.
Finding the right consultant is similar to engaging any other external contractor such as a builder or plumber. Doing your homework on the following areas could save you time and money in the long run, and hopefully help you find a consultant whom you can build an ongoing relationship.
Qualifications
Ideally your consultant should have a minimal qualification of a Certificate IV in Occupational Health and Safety. Many consultants, however, have graduate qualifications in non WH&S topics, such as Industrial Relations, Engineering, Business Occupational Therapy or Science, to name a few. Other consultants may not have any tertiary qualifications but many years experience in WH&S management.
To ensure that your consultant is suitably trained, consider their qualifications in conjunction with their experience and accreditation.
Accreditation
Membership of a professional body ensures that the consultant has met specified criteria and has been assessed by his peers as being competent. Professional bodies such as the Safety Institute of Australia offer membership at a number of levels, subject to qualifications and experience.
Your consultant should freely provide you with details of his qualifications and accreditations.
Experience
Your consultant should be able to provide you with a list of clients and an example of the type of reports, policies, and management systems they have implemented previously.
Consider your own requirements when assessing the client list and the range of industries and services they provided.
Reputation
A competent consultant should readily provide you with the contact details of a few previous clients who can vouch for the quality of the services and the consultants skills.
Personality
If you intend working with the consultant over a period of time, it may be worthwhile to also consider how well the consultant will fit in with your employees and workplace routines. Being able to develop an honest, respectful relationship with your consultant will increase the outcomes for your business.