-- JCT Health & Safety Consulting argues that the retained external model offers SMEs sharper insight, lower cost, and cleaner regulatory cover than a part-time in-house appointment
JCT Health & Safety Consulting, the Bristol-based consultancy led by chartered safety practitioner Caspar Thomas, is calling on South West employers to reconsider how they resource workplace health and safety, as the latest HSE figures show the region recording 2,630 non-fatal workplace injuries per 100,000 workers — significantly above the national average of 1,920.
For many small and mid-sized businesses, the conventional response is to designate an in-house "competent person" alongside their day job, or to absorb safety responsibilities at the director level. JCT argues there is a more effective, and often more economical, alternative: engaging an external consultant on a retained or project basis, typically for a day or two each month.
Why the external model is gaining ground
Caspar Thomas BSc (Hons) CMIOSH OSHCR, Director of JCT Health & Safety Consulting, points to several structural advantages of the outsourced approach:
- Cross-sector exposure. External consultants work across dozens of operating environments — racecourses, production sets, hospitality venues, light manufacturing, construction — and bring lessons learned in one vertical to the benefit of clients in another. Patterns that take an internal team years to encounter are spotted weekly by a busy consultancy.
- Built-in objectivity. An outside adviser is not subject to internal politics, has no stake in defending past decisions, and is more likely to surface uncomfortable findings that an internal colleague might soften. Employees, too, often speak more candidly to an external assessor than to a colleague.
- Chartered-level expertise without chartered-level overhead. A full-time CMIOSH-grade hire typically commands a five-figure package once salary, NI, pension, holiday, sick pay, and CPD are accounted for. A retained external consultant delivers the same calibre of advice at a fraction of that cost, scaled precisely to the days actually needed.
- Always-current legislation knowledge. Health and safety law and the supporting standards — the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the recently published BS 8674:2025 fire risk assessment standard, evolving HSE guidance — shift continually. Tracking is the consultant's full-time job, not a sideline.
- A defensible "competent person" appointment. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require every employer to appoint a competent person. An OSHCR-registered chartered consultant satisfies that duty unambiguously, giving insurers, enforcing authorities, and the board straightforward reassurance.
- A cadence that fits how businesses actually run. Most companies don't need a daily safety presence; they need consistent, well-timed expertise. The external model is built for exactly that rhythm, with no long-term lock-in.
A model designed around the real problem
"The businesses we support typically don't have a safety problem they can't fix," said Thomas. "They have a time problem, a knowledge-currency problem, or a documentation problem. An external consultant solves all three without adding headcount, and frankly, with sharper insight, because we see good and bad practice across the region every week. What we observed last month at a public events venue might directly inform what we recommend tomorrow on a production set or in a warehouse."
JCT Health & Safety Consulting works with clients across Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Gloucester, and the wider South West, delivering fire risk assessments, accident investigation, fire warden training, retained Competent Person services, general risk assessments, and bespoke health and safety consultancy. Recent engagements include Ludlow Racecourse and Keygreen Productions.
About JCT Health & Safety Consulting
JCT Health & Safety Consulting is a Bristol-based consultancy delivering practical, legislation-compliant health and safety support to businesses across the South West. Led by Caspar Thomas BSc (Hons) CMIOSH OSHCR, MIFSM (NFRAR Tier 2), the firm is listed on the government-endorsed Occupational Safety Consultants Register and works with clients across hospitality, events, creative industries, construction, and beyond.
Contact Info:
Name: Caspar Thomas
Email: Send Email
Organization: JCT Health & Safety Consulting
Website: https://safety-compliance.co.uk/
Release ID: 89194167
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