An external health and safety consultant gives you independent expertise without hiring a full-time employee. They build your systems, check your compliance, investigate incidents, and prepare you for prequalification, then hand it back so you run it yourself. This page covers the situations where bringing someone in makes the most sense, what to look for, and what it should cost.
When You Do Need a Consultant
- You need a management system built and do not have the in-house knowledge to do it properly. A generic template downloaded from the internet will not pass prequalification or hold up in a WorkSafe investigation. A consultant builds a system tailored to your business.
- A client or prequalification scheme is asking for documentation you do not have. SiteWise, Tōtika, and most principals require evidence of a working health and safety system. A consultant gets you there faster than trying to figure it out yourself.
- Something has gone wrong. After an incident, near miss, or WorkSafe contact, you need an independent investigation and someone who knows the notification and reporting obligations under HSWA 2015.
- You want an independent check. Your own people see your workplace every day. They stop noticing hazards. An external auditor catches what internal eyes miss.
- Your business has changed and the system has not kept up. New sites, new staff, new activities, or growth that outpaced your paperwork. An annual review or gap analysis identifies what has drifted.
- You are spending too much time on H&S admin. If health and safety is taking hours away from running the business, a consultant can build the system, set it up, and hand it back so you maintain it with minimal effort.
When You Do Not Need One
Not every situation requires a consultant. You probably do not need one if:
- You have someone in-house with genuine health and safety knowledge (not just interest)
- Your system is already built, current, and working
- You just need to update one or two documents, not rebuild the whole thing
- Your risks are well understood and your controls are in place
A good consultant will tell you this upfront.
What to Look for in a Consultant
- NZ-specific experience. HSWA 2015 is New Zealand law. A consultant with only Australian or international experience may not understand the specific duties, penalties, and WorkSafe expectations that apply here.
- Industry experience relevant to your work. Construction, warehousing, manufacturing, and office environments have different risks. The consultant should have worked in your type of business before.
- You deal with the person doing the work. Large consultancies often have a salesperson you meet and a junior you never met doing the actual work. Ask who will be writing your system and reviewing your site.
- Practical, not theoretical. Your system needs to work in your business, not look impressive on paper. If the consultant talks more about ISO frameworks than about your actual risks, they may be the wrong fit.
Need outside help with your health and safety?
Tell us about your situation. We will recommend the right service and confirm a fixed quote before any work begins. See all our services →
Get a quote
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the service. A workplace site audit starts from $450 + GST. Larger projects like a management system build or prequalification are quoted as a fixed project fee after a scoping call. You know the total cost before any work begins.
No. HSWA 2015 places the duty on the PCBU, not on a consultant. You can manage your own health and safety if you have the knowledge. A consultant is useful when you do not have that knowledge in-house, when you need independent verification, or when something has gone wrong.
No. The PCBU retains the primary duty of care regardless. A consultant helps you meet that duty, but the legal responsibility stays with the business.
A safety manager is an employee or internal role. A consultant is external and independent. The advantage of a consultant is objectivity — they have no internal politics, no familiarity blindness, and no reason to tell you what you want to hear.
Sources
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, section 36: primary duty of care for PCBUs. legislation.govt.nz