Health and Safety Consultancy With Your Own Outsourced Competent Person
A named Competent Person who takes an active role in your business, supporting your legal compliance. Built on ex-enforcement expertise, our team knows what regulators look for because they used to be the regulators.
- Your own dedicated consultant - same person every visit
- Named Competent Person supporting your compliance
- Risk assessments, audits, training and documentation - delivered for you
"Insightful sector knowledge and commercially sound safety advice. Peace of mind that we're running a safe, compliant business." - Danny McLaughlan, McLaughlan Transport
Speak to an H&S specialist
Tell us about your business. No commitment, no hard sell.
Get in touch
Contact us by phone or email. We ask the right questions to understand your operation, your sector and your current compliance position.
We match the right consultant
We assign a named consultant with the right sector expertise for your business. They become your single point of contact.
Ongoing delivery
Your consultant conducts an initial audit, writes bespoke documentation and sets up your compliance rhythm - with quarterly reviews and continuous support.
Three H&S questions that keep you awake
"Who actually owns your compliance?"
Responsibility fragmented across rotating consultants, internal staff and software portals. Different faces every visit. No one who truly knows your operation. You're left holding the liability.
"Could you survive an HSE investigation tomorrow?"
Documentation gaps. Training records scattered across spreadsheets. Risk assessments out of date. Could you produce evidence in minutes - not days?
"Are you paying for advice - or outcomes?"
Generic consultants audit, report and leave. They tick boxes and hand you a to-do list. You're paying for advice that doesn't stick - and still doing the work yourself.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Under Regulation 7, you must appoint one or more Competent Persons to assist with health and safety
- Directors face personal liability for health and safety failures
- A single incident can trigger HSE investigation, prosecution, premium hikes or operational shutdown
- A Competent Person takes an active role in your compliance - a Competent Advisor only provides guidance
What you get with Opus
Expert health and safety support that goes beyond advice. We take an active role in your business as your Competent Person, so you can focus on running your business.
Speak to a Specialist TodayNamed dedicated consultant
Same person every visit. They learn your sites, your team and your challenges - becoming an extension of your operation.
Your Competent Person - embedded in your business
Your documented Competent Person under Regulation 7 - takes an active role supporting your compliance, not just a to-do list.
Risk assessments and audits
Bespoke risk assessments written for your specific operations. Business risk audits that identify hazards across your entire site.
Policy writing and documentation
Health and safety policies, method statements and safe systems of work - all written for your business, not from templates.
Fully managed training
On-site training, e-learning modules, toolbox talks, management briefings and accredited IOSH and NEBOSH courses - fully managed by your consultant.
Compliance cloud platform
Centralised document library, automated task reminders, incident reporting and real-time tracking across all your sites.
Quarterly reviews and site audits
Regular compliance reviews and site audits track your progress, close out actions and help keep you audit-ready.
Emergency and incident response
Immediate advice when incidents occur. Expert accident investigation, RIDDOR reporting and enforcement support when you need it most.
How the options compare
| Do it yourself | Traditional consultancy | Opus Safety Partnership | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountability | Falls on you personally | Advise and leave - liability stays with you | Named Competent Person actively supporting your compliance |
| Consistency | Depends on internal resource and knowledge | Rotating consultants, different face every visit | Same dedicated expert who knows your business |
| Platform | Spreadsheets and filing cabinets | PDF reports emailed to you | Compliance Cloud with real-time tracking and reminders |
| Response time | You figure it out alone | Call a helpline, speak to whoever is available | Direct line to your named consultant |
| Training | You research and coordinate everything | Often recommended separately, not always included | Fully managed by your consultant - on-site, e-learning and accredited courses |
| Cost model | Hidden internal time costs | Unpredictable pay-per-project fees | Fixed monthly fee - budget with confidence |
What our clients say
Opus gave us a robust, results-based safety programme that put us in control of compliance performance. The Opus team are there whenever we need them with insightful sector knowledge and commercially sound safety advice.
Danny McLaughlan, Workshop Director, McLaughlan TransportThe key differentiator is the level of support, training, and knowledge their team bring. Always at the end of a phone call when needed, for real time advice. I and our Managers certainly feel more comfortable knowing we have Opus there to support us with anything we need at any time.
Justin Hood, Operations Director, Alsford TimberThe team at Opus use their considerable expertise built up over nearly 20 years working in the merchanting sector to offer commercially sensible advice. Most importantly, their team can be relied upon to respond quickly to any queries and proactively assist us in evolving our safety systems.
Steve Vincent & Neil Robinson, InterlineMcLaughlan Transport - Health and Safety Partnership
McLaughlan Transport is a family-owned haulage company in Perth with 50 employees across a five-acre site including cold storage, parking, office space and workshop facilities. They wanted to extend their on-road safety standards across their full site operation but didn't have the in-house expertise to build a comprehensive programme from the ground up.
Opus provided a named regional consultant who built their safety programme from scratch: bespoke risk assessments covering transport, equipment, hazardous substances, fire safety and noise exposure; workplace transport guidance on collision prevention and pedestrian segregation; role-based e-learning delivered through Compliance Cloud; and ongoing one-to-one support for continuous compliance.
Result: compliance became a shared team goal with real-time visibility into performance across the entire operation.
Ready to get expert H&S support?
Speak to an H&S specialist. No commitment, no hard sell.
What makes Opus different
Most consultants provide advice and leave. We work alongside you.
Ex-enforcement expertise
Founded by ex-Enforcement Officers. Our team knows what regulators look for - because they used to be the regulators. Assessments that satisfy inspectors, not just tick boxes.
Named Competent Person
Not a call centre. Not a rotating roster. One named consultant who becomes part of your team, serves as your documented Competent Person and is available on a direct line when you need them.
Bespoke, not template
We write bespoke documentation based on your environment. Practical solutions proportionate to your actual risks - we won't recommend expensive, disruptive work that doesn't benefit you just to tick a box.
Sectors we specialise in
Health and safety isn't generic. Your operational risks aren't either.
Builders' merchants
Forklift traffic around customers, manual handling of heavy stock, high-density racking, COSHH substances and complex yard layouts where trade counters meet operational areas.
Manufacturing & engineering
Machinery guarding, PUWER compliance, COSHH and respiratory risks, workplace noise monitoring, DSEAR assessments and safe systems of work for complex processes.
Warehousing & logistics
MHE and pedestrian segregation, racking safety and load notices, manual handling across high-volume picking, work at height, and rapid temporary staff onboarding.
Garden centres
Public safety in mixed retail and operational areas, COSHH for fertilisers and chemicals, greenhouse maintenance at height, manual handling in all weather, and legionella risk from water features.
Metal stockholding
Cutting and welding hazards, noise and vibration exposure, manual handling of heavy materials, COSHH for oils and lubricants, and workplace transport management.
Construction
CDM compliance, temporary site setups, changing risk profiles, multiple contractor coordination, work at height and excavation safety across evolving environments.
Offices & education
DSE workstation assessments, fire safety, electrical systems, lone working policies, stress and wellbeing management, and visitor and contractor controls.
Common questions answered
What is a Competent Person?
Under Regulation 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer must appoint a Competent Person to assist with health and safety. A Competent Person takes an active role in your business, supporting your legal compliance. Opus fulfils this role for your business.
How is this different from hiring an in-house H&S manager?
You get ex-enforcement expertise, regulatory monitoring, a compliance cloud platform and continuity through holidays and absence - without the cost of a full-time hire. Many businesses find a partnership more cost-effective and more capable than a single in-house role.
What if we already have some H&S in place?
Good. We build on what you have, not start from scratch. Many clients use us to support existing internal teams, fill knowledge gaps, provide ex-enforcer credibility, or cover during staff changes and absences.
What happens if there's an incident?
Contact us immediately. We provide expert accident investigation, handle RIDDOR reporting to the authorities and offer enforcement support. We understand the urgency when regulators are involved and help you respond appropriately.
Do you cover all types of risk assessments?
Yes. General risk assessments, COSHH, DSEAR, noise, manual handling, DSE, fire, legionella - we write bespoke assessments for your specific operations. We also coordinate specialist services like asbestos surveys and occupational health surveillance.
Can you help with staff training?
Absolutely. We deliver on-site training, e-learning modules via the Compliance Cloud, toolbox talks, management briefings and accredited IOSH and NEBOSH courses. Your consultant coordinates the logistics - from scheduling to delivery.
Take control of your compliance
A named Competent Person. Ex-enforcement expertise. Expert guidance to help you meet your legal duties.
No commitment. No hard sell. Just straight answers.