Retained Health & Safety Consultancy for UK Businesses
Your dedicated H&S partner, without the cost of an in-house team. York Green provides retained health and safety consultancy tailored to your business, giving you a named competent person, practical compliance support and the confidence that your people are protected.
Could Your Business Prove Compliance Today?
Most businesses know they need to take health and safety seriously. But without a dedicated resource, compliance slips, documentation falls behind, risk assessments go out of date, and small problems quietly become serious ones.
Sound familiar?
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You've tried to manage H&S yourself, but it always drops down the priority list
- Your policies haven't been reviewed since they were first written
- A near-miss or incident has left you wondering whether your cover is solid
- You know you need a 'competent person' but you're not sure what that actually means
- You work in manufacturing or warehousing where a single lapse could have serious consequences
A retained health and safety consultancy package from York Green solves all of this, giving you expert support, as and when you need it, without the overhead of a full-time hire.
What is a Retained Health & Safety Consultancy?
A retained H&S consultancy is an ongoing support arrangement where York Green acts as your outsourced health and safety department. Rather than paying for ad-hoc advice or employing a full-time safety officer, you pay a fixed monthly fee and get access to the expertise you need, consistently, without the admin burden.
Under the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR), every UK employer must appoint a 'competent person' to help them meet their legal obligations. For most SMEs, the most practical way to satisfy this requirement is through a retained consultant — and that's exactly what we provide.
⚖ Legal Requirement - The Competent Person Rule
Regulation 7 of MHSWR 1999 requires every employer to appoint one or more competent persons to assist them in complying with health and safety legislation. By appointing York Green as your retained consultant, you satisfy this legal requirement. We act as your named competent person on all relevant documentation, site visits and regulatory correspondence.
Practical Support Across Every Area of Compliance
Every retained package is tailored to your business — your sector, your size, and your risk profile. Depending on the package you choose, your support will include a combination of:
Not everything above is included at every tier. See the packages below to find the right level for your business.
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Health & safety policy and documentation suite, written for your business
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Unlimited telephone and email helpline. Get expert answers the same day
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Named competent person for all documentation and regulatory purposes
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Workplace risk assessments. Reviewed and updated regularly
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Scheduled site visits, from quarterly to monthly depending on your needs
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COSHH assessments for hazardous substances
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Toolbox talks, staff briefings and access to eLearning
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Accident and near-miss investigation support
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Regulatory compliance monitoring. We track changes in legislation so you don't have to
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Fire risk assessment (available as part of premium package or standalone)
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DSEAR and PUWER compliance support for manufacturing and warehousing
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Staff training delivered via our eLearning platform.
Plans and pricing
Retained H&S Consultancy Packages
Essential
from £199 a month
Some key features
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Named competent person for all regulatory documentation
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Unlimited telephone and email advice helpline (office hours)
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Health & Safety policy written for your business
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Documentation template suite (risk assessments, forms, registers)
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Annual on-site H&S review visit
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Regulatory updates and compliance alerts
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30 eLearning course licenses per year
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IDEAL FOR: Offices, small service businesses, 5–30 employees
Professional
from £399 a month
Some key features
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Everything in Essential, plus:
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Quarterly site visits and workplace walk-throughs
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Risk assessment review and update programme
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COSHH assessment support
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1 x toolbox talk or staff briefing per quarter
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Accident and near-miss investigation support
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Basic fire risk assessment review
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80 eLearning course licences per year
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IDEAL FOR: Small manufacturing units, trades businesses, 15–80 employees
Premium
from £799 a month
Some key features
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Everything in Standard, plus:
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Monthly site visits and rolling audit programme
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Full gap analysis and compliance action plan
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Bespoke on-site training sessions
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Fire risk assessment (comprehensive, annual)
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DSEAR assessment (if applicable)
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PUWER inspection programme (if applicable)
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Priority helpline response - same-day callback guaranteed
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Incident response support (on-site if required)
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250 eLearning course licences per year
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IDEAL FOR: Manufacturers, warehousing, logistics, 30–250+ employees
H&S Support Built for Your Sector
We work with businesses across the UK where getting health and safety wrong isn't an option. Our retained consultancy is particularly well-suited to:
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
You've grown beyond the point where the owner can manage H&S alone, but you're not yet ready for a full-time safety officer. A retained package gives you consistent, affordable expertise without the overhead.
Manufacturing & Production
Machinery, hazardous substances, shift workers — manufacturing environments carry real and complex risks. We bring specialist PUWER, DSEAR and COSHH expertise alongside day-to-day compliance support.
Warehousing & Logistics
From forklift operations to manual handling, fire safety to racking inspections — warehousing carries a wide range of hazards. We understand the environment and know what inspectors look for.
Trades & Construction (SME Contractors)
Whether you're tendering for contracts that require a named competent person or simply trying to keep your team safe on site, we provide the documentation and support you need to operate compliantly and confidently.
Plain-English H&S, Delivered by People Who Get It
We're not a faceless compliance firm with a one-size-fits-all approach. York Green was built to give UK businesses the kind of health and safety support that actually makes sense in the real world — practical, proportionate, and written in plain English.
- You'll always speak to a real H&S consultant, not a call centre
- We tailor every package to your business, not a generic template
- We know manufacturing and warehousing environments inside out
- Our documentation is written in plain English not legalese
- We have 190+ eLearning courses if your team needs training
- We keep up with regulatory changes so you don't have to
Is a retained H&S consultant a legal requirement?
Under Regulation 7 of the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer must appoint a competent person to help meet their legal H&S obligations. For most SMEs, appointing a retained consultant is the most practical and cost-effective way to satisfy this requirement. It's not a choice between compliance and cost, with a retained package, you get both.
What's the difference between a retained consultant and hiring someone in-house?
A full-time in-house safety officer typically costs £35,000–£55,000 per year plus on-costs, training and benefits. A retained consultant gives you access to their expertise at a fraction of the cost, with the added benefit of a whole team behind them (rather than one individual). For businesses with fewer than 250 employees, a retained arrangement is almost always the smarter option.
How quickly can you set up our retained package?
We can typically have your package in place within 2–4 weeks of your initial consultation. This includes an on-site (or virtual) assessment, document review, and the creation of your policy suite. If you need urgent support, let us know and we will prioritise accordingly.
Do you work with businesses anywhere?
Yes. While York Green is based in Cheshire, we support businesses across the whole of the UK. Telephone and email support is delivered nationally. Site visits are available across the UK, with travel costs agreed in advance for locations outside our primary service area.
What happens if we have an incident or enforcement visit?
On our Standard and Premium packages, you have dedicated incident support. If an HSE or local authority inspection is scheduled or occurs unexpectedly, we will advise you on how to respond, review your documentation, and where necessary, attend the premises alongside you. Premium package clients benefit from same-day support and on-site attendance as standard.
Ready to Protect Your Business and Your People?
Talk to York Green today about a retained health and safety package tailored to your business. No jargon. No hard sell. Just practical, expert support from consultants who understand your world.