BEFORE YOU REQUEST A QUOTE
Choose the support model around the questions you need answered and the work you need completed. A monthly fee is only meaningful when the included advice, visits, documents and response arrangements are clear.
In this buying guide
Write down the problem before asking for a packageCompare one-off work with ongoing accessCheck sector experience and limitsAgree ownership of the practical workCheck the exit before accepting the entry priceQuestions for providersWrite down the problem before asking for a package
Describe your activities, premises, workforce and the event prompting the enquiry. Perhaps you need help with a new process, several overdue actions or someone to review existing arrangements. Ask the consultant to distinguish urgent work, a defined initial project and optional ongoing support. A library of templates may be useful, but it does not by itself show that your particular work has been considered.
Compare one-off work with ongoing access
For a project, agree outputs, site time, interviews, revisions and a handover date. For a retainer, ask about contact hours, named advisers, response targets, visit allowances and excluded specialist subjects. Clarify whether a response target promises an acknowledgement or substantive advice. Check what happens when you exceed an allowance or need support with a situation outside the original scope.
Check sector experience and limits
Ask for examples of comparable activities and how the consultant handles subjects outside their competence. Establish who will do the work rather than relying only on the credentials of the person selling it. HSE explains that competence involves the knowledge, skills and experience needed for the task. Keep responsibility for decisions and actions clear within your own organisation.
Agree ownership of the practical work
Identify who gathers records, speaks to workers, drafts documents, implements controls and checks progress. Ask whether a site visit is included and how remote work will deal with questions that cannot be resolved from a form. At handover, request an action list that distinguishes the consultant’s completed deliverables from the changes your team still needs to make.
Check the exit before accepting the entry price
Read the contract term, renewal mechanism and notice process before comparing monthly amounts. Ask what happens to documents, software access and open advice requests when the agreement ends. Keep a copy of the agreed scope and review the service against it. If you are uncertain about disputed terms, get advice on the actual contract rather than treating this buying guide as a legal interpretation.
Questions to include in your quote request
Send the same brief to each provider, and ask them to identify assumptions and exclusions in their reply.
- Which deliverables and adviser time are included?
- What is excluded or referred to specialists?
- Who implements and checks the recommended actions?
- What term, renewal and record-export arrangements apply?
Common buying questions
Does paying a consultant transfer our responsibilities?
Do not assume so. HSE says the employer remains responsible for managing health and safety. Agree who advises, decides and implements actions.
Is a retainer better than a one-off project?
That depends on your ongoing needs and in-house competence. Compare the same required work, including likely additional charges, over the full commitment period.
Check the requirement before buying
These source-linked safety guides explain scope and jurisdiction. They remain drafts pending specialist review.
- Where do I start with a workplace risk assessment? — England, Wales, Scotland
- Where does an NI business start with workplace safety? — Northern Ireland
- Is a safety data sheet the same as a COSHH assessment? — England, Wales, Scotland
Official sources behind the distinctions
Sources checked 3 November 2026. Our quote-comparison suggestions are editorial guidance; these organisations do not endorse providers or this website.
This is purchasing guidance, not an assessment of your premises, technical approval or an interpretation of your contract. We do not publish unverified market-price ranges. Ask for a written quote for your actual scope.
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