The new accreditation scheme for safety consultants will be officially announced in the next few weeks by the HSE, which will run it in the initial stages.

The scheme will be open initially to UK safety consultants only, so in-house health and safety managers, advisors and safety consultants based abroad will, initially, not be eligible to register.

Many of us in the safety profession have been calling for an accreditation scheme for some time and its development has been accelerated by the current government review into health and safety being undertaken by Lord Young of Graffham. Rest assured that your own consultant will progress towards registration on the scheme once details have been finalised.

Notes
The set-up of the scheme is based on the outcome of the feasibility study carried out earlier this year by IOSH and the CIEH, the lead institutions in the consortium of stakeholder groups in the scheme, which also includes RoSPA, the British Safety Council, the IIRSM, the BSIF and the British Occupational Hygiene Society. This consortium will eventually take over the running of the scheme via the establishment of a company limited by guarantee.