Why Hire a Health and Safety Consultant – and What to Look For
Introduction
When it comes to workplace safety, guessing isn’t an option. A health and safety consultant can be the difference between smooth operations and costly fines, between a strong safety culture and recurring incidents. In BC, where WorkSafeBC regulations set the bar high, bringing in an expert ensures you’re not just compliant, you’re confident.
Why Businesses Hire a Health and Safety Consultant
1. Regulatory Compliance Without the Guesswork
BC’s safety regulations are complex. A qualified consultant helps you meet WorkSafeBC requirements without spending endless hours trying to interpret the rules.
2. Cost Savings in the Long Run
Fewer injuries mean fewer claims, less downtime, and lower insurance premiums.
3. Extra Capacity When Resources Are Stretched
Sometimes, even experienced health and safety leaders need help.
When I was the Director of Health and Safety for a large corporation, I faced periods where projects were stacking up and I didn’t have the resources to complete them. Hiring an external consultant allowed me to push those important projects forward, ensuring we met or exceeded compliance deadlines.
When COVID-19 hit, managing pandemic response became a full-time job. Developing, implementing, and updating policies and procedures to protect employees consumed most of my capacity, leaving less time to be proactive in other areas of the safety program. By bringing in a consultant, I freed up the bandwidth to get back into the field, spend time with employees, and gather critical feedback. That meant I could develop policies, assess risks, and address issues before they escalated, instead of reacting to problems after the fact.
That extra capacity made a measurable difference: by hiring a consultant during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to focus on proactive safety initiatives, and we ultimately set a new company record by going 2.5 years without a lost time injury, an achievement that had never been done in that company’s history, and had never been matched in the industry in BC before.
4. Expertise Across Industries
From construction to forestry to municipal operations to aquaculture, an experienced consultant understands industry-specific risks and solutions.
5. Objective, Third-Party Perspective
An outsider can see risks your in-house team might miss, and recommend solutions that are practical, not just theoretical.
What to Look for When Hiring a Safety Consultant
Certification & Experience
Look for credentials like CHSC, CRSP, External COR Auditor, or industry-specific certifications.
Proven Track Record
Ask for examples of past projects, not just compliance work, but measurable safety improvements.
Industry Knowledge
Choose someone who understands your sector’s unique risks and challenges.
Cultural Fit
If you work with Indigenous communities, hiring an Indigenous-owned safety consultant like Greenspine Safety Solutions can help build trust and understanding.
How Greenspine Safety Solutions Fits the Bill
We’ve spent over 14 years helping BC companies stay compliant, prevent incidents, and improve safety culture, all while keeping operations running smoothly. Greenspine Safety Solutions has over 20 years of combined experience in health and safety, including 13 years in dedicated safety roles and 10 years in the forestry sector providing advanced first aid and supporting field-level safety initiatives. As a 100% Indigenous-owned firm, we bring cultural awareness alongside regulatory expertise.
Don’t wait for an incident to reveal gaps in your safety program. Contact Greenspine Safety Solutions today for a free consultation and see how we can make your workplace safer and more compliant.
Dan McMillan
President
Greenspine Safety Solutions
250.870.3057
https://www.greenspinesafety.com/
