Consultancy Group

Important notice for all health and safety consultants

Proposed Consultants Forum for Hampshire

In response to the section on "raising the standards" in Lord Young's report on health and safety; an Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR) has recently been established.  The HSE are aware that many of those who provide H&S consultancy services will not meet the criteria to join the register or for whatever reason have chosen not to apply to join the register.
 
The HSE is trialling the establishment of local H&S consultants forums to cover both OSHCR and Non-OSHCR H&S consultants to provide a means of self support, and with HSE involvement, to improve the quality of advice provided to clients by independent H&S Consultants.
 
One is already running in Kent and Matthew Lee, HSE Inspector, from the HSE at Basingstoke, has been asked to ascertain if there is any interest in forming a similar forum in based and mainly working in Hampshire. The forum would meet 2 or 3 times per year for breakfast meetings lasting for no more than 2 hours. 

To get the ball rolling an initial meeting has been organised for any consultant who is interested, within the Hampshire and south coast region, on the 12 May 2011 in the Council Chamber at Rushmoor Borough Council, Farnborough, GU14 7JU. The meeting starts at 08:00 and will last for a couple of hours. At this first meeting it is intended that the attendees decide how they want meetings to be run in the future, and how many times a year they should be held etc. There is not an agenda as such, but Matthew Lee will be giving a presentation on Consultants and others duties etc. There is no chair or secretary as yet, and maybe the meeting will decide not to go down that formal route, unless of course it is decided to charge attendees etc in which case there will need to be a more structured organisation with officers identified from the attendees themselves. IOSH South Coast Branch has offered some small funding for teas and coffees if necessary.
 
If you would be interested in being part of such a forum you could either contact Matthew by e mail, Matthew.Lee@hse.gsi.gov.uk, or phone, 01256 404000, for further details, or just turn up on the day.