There are many factors to consider when choosing a professional consultant. These might include professional certifications, demonstration of experience and knowledge through project portfolio, references by past customers, past experience within your organization, cost for services provided, the type of project, and the product you are looking for from the consultant.

 

Before choosing a consultant, you must first define the problem or project and its scope as thoroughly as possible. If you are vague as to why you want the consultant and what you specifically need from them, the consultant will have difficulty addressing your concerns. There are safety professionals with expertise in many different industries. Some will have great depth in a very narrow focus; others will have a more comprehensive breadth of experience in a variety of settings.

 

There are various types of arrangements in the use of consultants. Everyone is familiar with consultants for specific issues. We have also seen successful arrangements where a professional consultant might be kept on "retainer" for two or three hours a month giving the company free access for questions, opinions, or just a sounding board to bounce health and safety ideas and concerns off. The consultant might even be included as a member of a safety committee. If a large special issue comes up that would require much more time, then hours would be billed on a project-specific basis.

 

We feel it is important to work with consultants that have recognized professional credentials. The most generally recognized health and safety certifications are the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). The CSP is a well respected certification with a proven record in the safety arena. The primary mission of the CIH is to protect the health and well-being of people in the workplace from chemical, microbiological, and physical health hazards. We think industrial hygienists certified in comprehensive practice are perhaps the best all-round health and safety practitioners for use in animal care settings.

 

If you have specific or complex issues such as licensing for radioisotope use, review of animal use protocols involving potentially infectious agents, or design of an air handling system for containment of contaminants, specialty consultants such as health physics, biosafety, or engineering should probably be used. The American Biological Safety Association (ABSA), the American Board of Health Physics, and the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), all have credentialing. You should be assured of getting a generally qualified consultant if certified by one of these organizations. The Professional Engineer (PE) is important for design work. Unlike the national certifications above, individual state engineering licensure boards regulate the licensed practice of engineering within a state.

 

It is a good idea to check references and contact colleagues who may have worked with someone you are considering. Also, try to get firsthand feedback from other customers who have used that consultant.

 

From Choosing and Working with a Health and Safety Consultant by the Safety Guys