Before we share the top three reasons to retain the services of an OSHA safety consultant and trainer, let’s consider WHO hires and benefits from outsourced expertise and support.
Companies With Less Than 50 Employees or Low Hazard Industry
With smaller workforces or lower hazard industries, hiring a full-time safety director may not be affordable or necessary. A safety consultant is an ideal solution for setting up a safety program, completing employee safety training and assisting with OSHA requirements.
Companies With More Than 50 Employees or Complex Safety Issues
With larger employee headcounts and more complex safety issues, a safety director may need outside resources to keep up with employee safety training and manage updates to the safety program. An outsourced safety consultant can assist and support many safety priorities when the workload is too much for one person. Here are a few examples:
- Completing site safety inspections.
- Updating the company’s safety manual and protocols.
- Performing safety training (or retraining).
- Conducting industrial hygiene assessments and developing recommendations based on the findings.
Companies With National or Global Multi-Locations
With multi-locations, a global or national safety director may have the internal resources to manage safety policies and programs. But they may need assistance at a local level with implementation of those policies, safety training, safety inspections and other services that require in-person attention.
It can be challenging for any size company to proactively keep up with OSHA requirements, nurture its safety culture, deliver employee safety training and prepare safety program updates. They just have different reasons why and when an outsourced safety consultant may be needed.
Here are the top three reasons to hire a safety consultant.
Reason #1: Expertise
Because they work with a variety of clients within major industries, experienced safety consultants see a wide range of OSHA violations and have participated in many OSHA inspections.
A seasoned safety consultant can see your unique situation from a different perspective. Then they can apply techniques that have worked before to your challenges.
Reason #2: Improved Safety Program Changes and Training Outcomes
Safety consultants can do more than conduct unbiased audits and inspections and advise employers on their findings. They also can help develop and implement health and safety programs and keep employees trained.
Keeping up with OSHA and other industry specific compliance and training is never ending. If your organization does not have a dedicated safety professional on staff and safety is owned by operations, HR or Quality, the resources a consultant can provide could be exactly what you need to keep your safety program on track. A consultant’s job is focused on three primary areas:
- To keep up with OSHA regulations.
- To understand the complexities of interpretation letters.
- To understand case law that affect the way a safety program needs to be implemented.
- To provide the resources and training to stay compliant going forward.
It can be difficult to get the buy in of all employees when new safety policies and procedures are introduced. Safety consultants serve as an objective third party that can reaffirm what policies are required by OSHA versus what is best practice. Plus, outsourcing employee training and auditing frees up time for managers and supervisors to focus on other responsibilities and goals.
Reason #3: Lower Overall Costs and Long Term Sustainability
With safety consulting services, you’ll get a team of experts working on your behalf. And, yes, there is an investment to be made for having them as you both need and want their services.
Beyond the costs of internal vs. external safety program management are sustainable outcomes like these:
- Better managed OSHA inspections saves the company money from incurring fines and minimizing risks when incidents occur.
- A safety consultant can assist you with citation resolution which may lead to reduced penalties.
- Reduced risk through compliance with OSHA regulations can also lead to decreased insurance costs.
- Hidden costs such as claims management and retraining are reduced.
- Missed revenue opportunities due to operational downtime are also reduced.
- As you grow and expand your business, your safety program and compliance requirements will change, too. When you engage with a safety consultant, you receive timely and compliant updates to your safety program. And your employees will be proactively and effectively trained on the changes to be implemented.
- While turnover in any organization is expected, when utilizing the services of a safety consultant you don’t need to worry about who will ensure that the safety program continues to operate efficiently, receives the attention it requires and receives regular updates, even in the absence of a dedicated safety manager.
Please reach out to us for a conversation. Click now to let us know you’d like to schedule a phone call or a virtual meeting with us.
Since 2008, Safety Consultants USA has served as safety consultants and employee safety trainers with companies in industries such as Construction, Specialty Contracting, Residential Contracting, Industrial Manufacturing, Trucking/Fleet Transportation, Distribution, Sanitation and Retail.
