Expert help is often needed to deal with complex or technical issues and to make sure health and safety regulations are followed. When looking for a workplace health and safety advisor, ask yourself these questions:

Are they a member of a professional association?

Professional associations require their members to be certified and meet certain standards of skill and ethics. They also have a process for handling complaints, which helps you address any issues with the service. Can the person you're considering confirm their membership? If you're unsure, you can check with their professional association.

HazardCo is a corporate sponsor for NZISM, we also have all our H&S Advisors accredited with NZISM. We also have some of our H&S Advisors on the HASANZ register.

Can they provide evidence of relevant training and knowledge, such as formal qualifications?

A qualified health and safety professional can provide documents showing their competence, like a practicing certificate from a relevant professional association. You should also check what ongoing professional development they are doing.

All of our H&S Advisors have a formal H&S qualification. Check out their credentials here

Do they have practical experience in your industry or type of business activity?

Find out what skills and experience they have for the job. It's important they can explain why they are qualified to advise you. Can they provide examples of similar work they've done recently? There are many specialist areas in workplace health and safety, so if your business has risks like hazardous substances, you need an expert in that specific area.

All of our H&S Advisors are generalist H&S experts. They can support most H&S queries relating to your business, if they do not have the right knowledge for your question they enjoy researching or will connect you with someone who is through our HazardCo Accredited Partners network. More information here.

Are they happy for you to contact their clients about the work they have done for them?

A good verbal reference from satisfied clients is a strong recommendation and will boost your confidence in the advisor's ability to meet your needs. You could ask them about their last job and get their permission to talk to that client.

We have lots of happy customers that we have provided sound advice to or supported during an incident on-site. The team would only be happy to chat about the work we do and provide customer feedback.