Is a health & safety consultant worth the money?
The short answer: sometimes. But whatever you pay, the legal responsibility still sits with you — so it's worth knowing exactly what you're paying for, and what it would cost to do the same thing yourself.
The responsibility is yours either way
This is the part that surprises people. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the duty to keep people safe sits with the employer and the duty holder. A consultant advises you and can act as your competent person, but if there is an incident or an inspection, it is still your responsibility. Paying a consultant does not move the liability off your shoulders — so a folder of generic, templated paperwork that wouldn't stand up is a false comfort, however much you paid for it.
What you're actually paying for
A consultant's bill is really two things: expertise — judgement on complex or high-risk work, and someone to appoint as your competent person — and document production — RAMS, risk assessments, fire risk assessments, policies and toolbox talks. The expertise can be well worth it. The document production is where a lot of businesses overpay, because much of it is a template with the company name changed.
The same documents, side by side
| Task | Typical consultant cost | With Complys |
|---|---|---|
| A project-specific RAMS | £150–£400 each | Minutes, included in your plan |
| A fire risk assessment | £200–£500 each | Minutes, included |
| A construction phase plan | £150–£450 each | Minutes, included |
| H&S policy + toolbox talks | £300–£800 | Included |
| Ongoing (monthly retainer) | £100–£500+/month | From a low monthly subscription |
Consultant figures are typical UK market ranges for illustration, not a quote. Complys produces the same documents to a professional standard and keeps them version-controlled and ready for clients and accreditation.
When a consultant is still worth it
We're not going to pretend consultants have no value — they do. Complex or high-risk work, an unusual site, a serious incident, an enforcement matter, or simply wanting an expert to appoint as your competent person: those are all good reasons to have a good adviser. The smart move for most businesses is to stop paying premium fees for routine paperwork, produce that yourself with Complys, and spend your consultant budget on the judgement calls that actually need it.
Consultant or software — FAQs
Does hiring a health & safety consultant remove my legal responsibility?
No. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 the duty to manage health and safety sits with the employer and the duty holder. You can take advice from a consultant, and appoint a competent person, but if something goes wrong the responsibility is still yours. Paying for generic, templated paperwork does not transfer that responsibility — which is why the quality of what you hold matters.
How much does a health & safety consultant cost?
It varies, but day rates commonly run from around £400 to £700, and monthly retainers for a small business from roughly £100 to £500+. A single RAMS or fire risk assessment produced by a consultant is often £150–£500. Over a year that adds up quickly, and much of it is document production.
What is a consultant genuinely worth paying for?
Expert judgement on complex or high-risk work, acting as your appointed competent person, representing you with an enforcing authority, and hands-on site advice. That expertise has real value. What is harder to justify is paying premium fees for generic RAMS, risk assessments and policies that are essentially templates with your name changed.
Can Complys replace my consultant?
For a lot of businesses it replaces the document-production part — project-specific RAMS, fire risk assessments, construction phase plans, policies and toolbox talks, produced to a professional standard in minutes and kept up to date. For complex, high-risk or contested situations, keep a competent adviser. Many businesses do both: Complys for the day-to-day documents, a consultant for the hard calls.
How do I know if the documents I'm paying for are any good?
Check them. Our free RAMS checker grades a document against good practice in minutes and shows what's missing, so you can see whether you're getting value before you renew a retainer.
See what you're paying for — free
Check a document you already have against good practice in minutes, then produce better ones yourself for a fraction of consultant fees.
This page is general information, not legal advice.