Getting Help with Safety: Consulting External WHS Professionals

Work Health and Safety consultants are employed across many workplaces and industries. The work undertaken by these professionals is governed by several complex legislations, standards, and industry codes. These professionals act as a key advisor, strategist, and pilot an organization’s leadership in fully integrating the management of risks into a recurring and ever-improving business practices at all levels.

Large scale companies have designated WHS committees within their organization specially if they have multiple locations and/or sites to look after. They also hire external WHS consultants on a contractual basis to carry out the regular checks. But what does a small or medium business owner resort to? With the continuous development of the WHS market, safety has now been viewed as essential or an equivalent, resulting to profit gain. You may be a small neighbourhood café owner or a store franchisee, but the need for having to comply with occupational health and safety will never change. A WHS professional’s ability to build a web of relationships enable and influence others to bring about change in organizational practices. They focus on risk control and mitigation, which, in turn, should allow the organization to improve and move up the safety culture ladder.

As a provider, we always take pride in the level and quality of service our consultants deliver to a wide range of businesses.  As part of being an external provider for these organizations, we would like to highlight the advantages of seeking assistance outside the company to guarantee that your workplace, your staff, and your protocols are compliant.

• Range in Exposure – Hiring or contracting consultants externally would mean that they do not cater to a specific market. Majority of service providers pattern their work to their intended client. This entitles regular and objective audits of the safety performance and compliance level of a business. Safety Advisors must bear extensive qualifications applied across multiple fields to acknowledge all safety issues and requirements. Having to provide specialised knowledge across different business models when it comes to work health and safety, opens the opportunity for better, safer practices.

• Unbiased Reporting – This ensures the quality of any audit, assessment or training is not influenced or bear conflicting interest/s to the company. External consultants provide a fresh perspective and set areas for improvement that may not have been previously brought to the stakeholder’s attention. Not because there is a way of doing things, but because there is a safer way of getting things done. Negligent advice, actions, can only result to injuries furthering to penalties.

• Flexible and Efficient Pricing – The playing field in investing on safety resources of any matter between small and large scale businesses is not even. Smaller business owners may not have the finances to hire audit professionals. But now, since the market has grown exponentially, even small business owners can now avail of the same services to be compliant by outsourcing professionals for a fraction of the price. WHS providers like us make pricing flexible and negotiable. Not only do we help small businesses be compliant, but we also ensure that they do not have so sacrifice a large sum of their profit and treat this service to just tick the box. Stakeholders must understand that while safety does come with a price, it is an investment and a commitment you make to your business and to the people you offer your products and services to.

• Improves Company Branding – Some staff members in an organization wear too many hats, and by adding more responsibility means things may fall through the cracks, and priorities will change. They may be providing misleading info, breaching laws, or worse, creating liabilities for the organization. Investing on safety can reap positive impacts, both inside and outside the company. Internally, providing the best working environment for your team. Externally, people will see that you are serious about delivering the best service possible. Hiring a WHS consultant can benefit your business beyond boosting workplace health and safety. Caring for your team, making sure they are safe and not sick will have a domino effect and soon enough, word will spread. High serviceability goes a long way, and everyone will surely benefit from it.

• Updated with Requirements and Change in Legislations – It is vital to source an external consultant that has the necessary competencies. WHS consultancy providers are equipped with a fleet of trainers, engineers, and auditors that are up to code with any changes in terms of legislation, laws, and training to deliver and supply workplace health and safety services. Paying for additional and updated licenses and training would take off a chunk from a company’s profit if they are to keep an in-house auditor to regularly train and upskill. Hiring someone externally will allow any business owner or CEO with more time to focus on other important tasks, and the confidence knowing that the team will be able to manage any emergency.

A professional assessment and inspection from an outside professional can help your company find problems that you didn’t know you had. This will show how to operate efficiently and productively, enhancing your overall financial performance while it keeps the organization in compliant with the regulations and standards.

At Workplace Emergency Management our Trainers and Consultants are competent and confident in emergency management and have real emergency experience.

Our understanding of real emergencies means we are well placed to assess and advise on the best way to prepare your facility and personnel for emergencies.

Feel free to use our online form or call us at 1300 831 694 for any questions.