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Health and Safety Management Consultancy
Every UK & Irish employer has a legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workers. But meeting that duty in practice requires more than a policy document and an annual fire drill. It requires competent, up-to-date expertise across a wide range of disciplines, from occupational hygiene and noise assessment through to COSHH compliance and management system development. ISHEM provides fully independent health and safety management consultancy to organisations across the UK and Ireland, delivering the specialist expertise needed to manage workplace risk effectively and demonstrate compliance with confidence.
The Scale of Workplace Health and Safety Failure in the UK
The case for robust health and safety management is not abstract. According to the HSE's 2024/25 statistics, 1.9 million working people in Great Britain were suffering from a work-related illness, with 40.1 million working days lost as a result at an estimated economic cost of £22.9 billion. Behind those figures are real organisations that failed to identify risks, implement adequate controls, or maintain systems that actually worked.
Enforcement consequences are equally significant. The HSE and local authorities issued over 10,000 enforcement notices in 2023/24, and prosecutions for health and safety offences regularly result in substantial fines and, in the most serious cases, custodial sentences for individuals. For directors and senior managers, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 make clear that competent arrangements for health and safety are not optional.
What the Law Requires
The primary legislative framework for workplace health and safety in the UK is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, supported by a broad range of supporting regulations covering specific hazards and work environments.
Key obligations for most employers include:
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Conducting suitable and sufficient risk assessments under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
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Developing and implementing a written health and safety policy (for organisations with five or more employees)
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Appointing one or more competent persons to assist with compliance
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Providing adequate information, instruction and training to employees
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Consulting with employees or their representatives on health and safety matters
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Maintaining records of accidents and reportable incidents under RIDDOR 2013
Beyond these baseline requirements, sector-specific regulations impose additional obligations in areas including noise, hazardous substances, manual handling, display screen equipment, fire safety and work at height. ISHEM's consultants are experienced across the full range of applicable legislation and can identify precisely what your organisation needs to have in place.
Our Health and Safety Management Services
ISHEM provides a comprehensive range of health and safety management consultancy services, delivered by qualified safety, health and environment (SHE) consultants with practical experience across a wide range of industries. Where testing or monitoring is required, all work is carried out using accredited laboratory analysis to ISO/IEC 17025.
Health and Safety Compliance Reviews and Audits
A structured assessment of your current health and safety management arrangements against applicable legislation and recognised best practice. Identifies gaps, prioritises corrective actions and provides a clear baseline for improvement.
Health and Safety Policy and Standards Advice
Development and review of health and safety policies, procedures and standards aligned to your organisation's size, sector and risk profile. Includes support for ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system implementation and certification.
Workplace Exposure Monitoring
Monitoring of workplace exposure to hazardous substances, including chemical agents, dusts, fibres and biological agents, assessed against Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) under COSHH. Carried out by qualified occupational hygienists using accredited laboratory analysis.
Noise Surveys
Occupational noise surveys to assess worker exposure against the action and limit values under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Includes recommendations for engineering controls, hearing protection and health surveillance where required.
Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) Testing
Thorough examination and testing of LEV systems as required under COSHH Regulation 9. Confirms whether existing systems are performing to the required standard and identifies where remedial action is needed.
Fire Safety Risk Assessment
Fire safety risk assessments for non-domestic premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Identifies fire hazards, evaluates existing controls and provides a prioritised action plan for the responsible person.
DSEAR Risk Assessment
Risk assessments under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) for workplaces where flammable or explosive materials are present. Includes hazardous area classification and written explosion protection documents where required.
EMF Risk Assessments and Action Plan
Assessment of worker exposure to electromagnetic fields under the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016, with action plans to reduce exposure where limits are approached or exceeded.
Occupational and Industrial Hygiene Service
A broad range of occupational hygiene services covering biological monitoring, skin exposure assessment, ergonomic risk assessment and health surveillance programme design.
Health and Safety Awareness and Management Training
Practical health and safety training delivered in-person and virtually for managers, supervisors and employees. See our Training page for full course details.
Sectors We Work With
ISHEM works with organisations across a wide range of sectors where health and safety management carries significant legal complexity and operational consequences:
Healthcare
Clinical environments where infection control, manual handling, lone working, stress and biological agent exposure sit alongside the usual health and safety framework.
Education
Schools, colleges and universities managing diverse estates and large staff and student populations, where health and safety policy, risk assessment and contractor management all require specialist oversight.
Industrial and Manufacturing
Production environments where hazardous substances, noise, LEV systems, DSEAR obligations and occupational hygiene requirements demand specialist, ongoing management.
Construction and Engineering
Sites and projects where CDM 2015, working at height, plant and machinery, and COSHH obligations create a complex compliance picture requiring competent support.
Commercial Property and Facilities Management
Office buildings, mixed-use premises and FM portfolios where fire safety, DSE, legionella, asbestos and general workplace safety obligations apply across multiple sites
Why Choose an Independent Health and Safety Consultant?
Health and safety consultancy is only genuinely useful when it is independent. A consultant who has commercial relationships with equipment suppliers or remediation contractors has an inherent interest in the outcome of their own assessments. ISHEM has no such relationships. Our advice is driven solely by what your organisation needs to be compliant and to protect its people.
Our consultants are members of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) and a range of other professional bodies relevant to their disciplines. We are ISO 9001:2015 certified, Safecontractor approved and JOSCAR registered.
For health and safety management that is competent, independent and built around what your organisation actually requires, speak to ISHEM.