What is professional safety consulting?

At Safetysure, professional safety consulting means ensuring that our customers expectations are met while following known standards of practice or methodologies for undertaking the work that we do. Work safety is complex multi disciplinary area that requires a breadth of knowledge across disciplines. A professional safety consultant understands his or her limitations and knowledge base in undertaking their work and routinely engages external subject matter experts across specific discipline areas.

Qualifications and accreditations

Professional safety consulting companies engage qualified and competent personnel with a range of experiences in either an industry, or a key knowledge area. Accreditations from the Safety Institute of Australia, the Risk Management Institute of Australia or other internationally recognised professional standards bodies may be appropriate.

Keeping and maintaining a body of professional knowledge

Keeping and maintaining a body of professional knowledge is a core requirement for a professional safety consulting company or professional safety consultant. Ensuring that the practices of the organisation align with professional standards of practice or Australian/International standard methods is paramount to ensuring the quality of the work performed could be upheld (particularly if a later legal challenge results).

A professional safety consultant will provide their clients with a specific method for the work performed (if available) and should be able to link their work standard against legislative requirements. For example: If a consultant is working to complete a safety audit for your organisation, you would well ask what is the audit criteria for the work that they are performing. Is it an audit against a workplace health and safety standard? Is it an audit to a legislative provision of against and Australian or International standard.

We always aim to be clear about professional safety consulting practices with our clientele and ensure that the client understands both the benefits and limitations of the work that we perform as safety consultants.

Professional Safety Consulting – our key tips:

Do they have knowledge and experience working in your industry?
Do they understand the applicable standard under which the work will be conducted?
Do they understand your needs as a customer?
Can they really comprehend the scope of works?