The Occupational Safety Consultants Register and what it means for you

The Occupational Safety Consultants Register (OSCR) is the first step to resolving the problems identified by Lord Young in his recent report. Whilst many businesses develop in-house competence and do not need to use safety consultants, many smaller businesses will need help. OSCR will give those businesses confidence that the person will have complied to a high standard of qualifications recognised by a professional body.

The OSCR will go live in early 2011, and employers will be able to access the database online. Lord Young has asked the HSE to take a lead in raising the standards of the Health & Safety profession. The HSE is currently working with professional bodies and stakeholders, with an intention that once the scheme is up and running, the HSE will no longer need to be involved directly.

Lord Young has rightly raised his concern that anybody can operate as a health and safety consultant with no legal requirement or standards currently set. Some may overcomplicate health and safety or miss important hazards — and in particular, they contribute to misconceptions about what is really needed to protect people at work. In a small number of cases, HSE has prosecuted consultants for advice that has put people at risk.

OSCR will create a single, recognised national scheme for identifying safety consultants who have attained high degrees of qualifications and experience as recognised by the participating professional bodies. Initially the OSCR will be a register for individuals who primarily provide commercial third-party advice services on general safety management issues, and will therefore not include occupational health consultants at present, but may do so in the future.

The intention of the OSCR is to create a mechanism by which the professional bodies can work together to ensure standards are raised. Lord Young is clear that if this is not achieved, a statutory scheme cannot be ruled out.