The consideration of health and safety is an essential part of any company. Not only must you manage risk for your l benefit. But you must also be aware of the current health and safety legislations to ensure that your company remains compliant.

In the current economic climate, managing the above may prove especially challenging. Many companies have shed headcount across all sectors of the business and are merging roles where there used to be dedicated HSE positions. The health and safety function may now be sat within HR, Operations, or Facilities; leaving staff ill-equipped/trained to manage their new and vital responsibilities.

Perhaps your company is an international one. Are your health and safety functions now being managed overseas by a shared resource with little understanding of local HSE laws? Does the specialist have to fly in and out of the UAE and incur international travel costs plus negotiate the constantly changing travel restrictions?

To avoid these hassles, many companies are choosing to outsource their health and safety support. If this is something that your company is considering then you may be wondering what the demonstrable benefits are. Here are the main ones:

Cost Reduction Benefits:

• Removes the need to spend on staff visas, healthcare, flights, holiday, sickness and gratuities, IT infrastructure e.g. laptops and phones. Onboarding costs e.g. recruitment costs, training, HR, payroll, etc.
• Removes the cost of bringing a shared overseas resource such as an HSE Manager from the Head Office in another country. In and out of the UAE or differing Emirates.
• Will immediately improve safety performance with reduced disruption and the associated costs.

Flexibility Benefits:

• Removes headcount, recruitment, and resourcing challenges.
• Gives you immediate access to expert HSE advice.
• Minimal training downtime, unlike a direct-hire candidate.
• Helps to manage traditional seasonal productivity drops/increases in workload.
• Will represent you either internally at committee or management meetings, and/or liaise with third parties on your behalfs, such as enforcing authorities or accreditation bodies.
• Can provide immediate additional support to mitigate damage, such as after an incident.

Knowledge Benefits:

• Will provide you with immediate access to skilled and/or specialized resources. With no permanent cost or headcount.
• Can provide bilingual or multilingual staff that’s able to work well with your existing staff and clients.
• Will work with, and as an extension of, your existing team to build and increase the capability and knowledge levels of your existing team.

HSE Consultancy sees the bigger picture:

• Often, companies struggle to step back from their business to see potential issues and risks. An external HSE Consultant can offer an independent look at the bigger picture, offering objective ideas and practical solutions.
• Provides transparent and impartial HSE advice and services via an unbiased look at your practices, then helps you update and improve them.

Increases Efficiencies:

• An HSE Consultant can provide you with fresh insight and perspective throughout your operations, thus aiding efficiency and productivity.
• Will aid in the setting of HSE KPIs, leading and lagging indicators, and the presentation of data in a meaningful way to higher management.

Reduces Risk:

• Gives you clarity on your real health and safety issues. Helps you plan and reduce the risk of non-compliance and the attention of enforcing bodies.
• Updates you on new legislation, guidance and best practices. Solving problems before you even know you have them, and ensuring that you stay on the right side of the law.
• Can actively protect your company’s assets by building HSE into your preventative maintenance.

What could an outsourced Corporate OHS Consultant do for your company?

Imagine having access to a locally-based, dedicated expert HSE Consultant. What could they do for your company? Some examples, but by no means an exhaustive list, are outlined below:

• Develop, implement or maintain your company’s HSE management system.
• Compile and improve your current HSE standards and arrangements: plans, manuals, procedures, forms, and registers.
• Ensure that you are up to date and compliant with the latest/most relevant health and safety legislative requirements and industry best practices.
• Conduct hazard and risk assessments to ensure identified risks are managed and effectively controlled, with non-compliances logged and recommendations made.
• Investigate and analyse incidents/accidents, and make sure lessons learned are shared and communicated to all concerned parties.
• Coordinate with other departments on HSE matters e.g. HSE system implementation, identifying and resolving non-corrective actions and their follow-up, issuance of internal HSE permits.
• Prepare internal HSE statistics reports, bulletins, and safety alerts.
• Develop employees HSE awareness in training, awareness sessions, or toolbox talks.

If you own/manage a company in the UAE and are planning to outsource your Health and Safety management, look no further than Corporate OHS. We provide Health and Safety Management services, HSE Consultancy, Crisis Management, HSE System review and audit, and COVID-19 response and management. For more information, visit our website or send an email to enquiries@corporateohs.com.