Part of Helmsman Services Ltd and formed in 2005, Helmsman Safety Services is an award winning business providing flexible, value-for-money training and advice to our clients. The Colchester based company has an extensive network of professionally qualified Associates, so can deliver training and advice to any industry, acoross the UK. We also offer our 'Safe & Sure' package that gives small and medium busineses the health and safety support that they need - but at very economic prices.

Health Safety in the Recession

Even with Gordon Brown's G20 result, small and medium businesses will not see much support in the near future, if at all. It is therefore essential that every business looks at what it needs to be doing, in order to survive, let alone grow, in these hard times. And this is all about cutting costs and getting in new business - something that sometimes seems like a paradox to those business who decide to cut marketing (which will get them more business) or reducing their attention to health and safety (which could cause huge fines, loss of reputation and possibly liquidation).Outsourcing seems to have been seen by most SMEs (and other organisations) as something that only larger companies do in order to reduce their overheads. However, many don't recognise that they are actually doing it themselves, already. Many businesses outsource their book-keeping function and almost every one of them has an accountant to do their annual accounts. If it has an IT network, an organisation probably has an external supplier to ensure that it is kept running and that problems are dealt with very quickly. Usually marketing, web-hosting and a range of other services are outsourced, using professionals who have far more knowledge and skills than most SMEs can afford to employ.But when it comes to health & safety, my experience is that there are very few businesses that look at this aspect as one that can be outsourced to reduce costs. Frequently I come across firms where it is the MD's Secretary, or one of the Directors personally that has to be responsible. They may have, in a busy time when they need to be concentrating on getting new business, to locate training courses, deal with the bookings, get in consultants to look at Fire Risk Assessments or documentation - when it really isn't their 'proper' job. Equally, if there is a dedicated person, they are not always efficient as they should be and so, if redundancies are on the cards, this could be one area to look at.But where are the cost-savings? Recently we were called in when a company received a visit from the local Environmental Health Department which led to 22 Health & Safety Notices being issued and a subsequent court case, costing vast amounts of money in fines and costs. They hadn't thought about how they ran their business previous to this and had no resource to go to, to get advice and guidance - so it cost them a fortune.Outsourcing to a supplier that has skilled and knowledgeable people who deal with health and safety as their job, makes sense. There is too much money lost on finding training providers or advisors and money wasted because a person doesn't have the knowledge (or, in many cases, the inclination) to find out what the going rates are, or what the minimum price to ask might be and then to negotiate hard. Outsourcing is not losing control, it is giving the responsibility to experts and identifying exactly what it is you want done, how you want it done, with what Key Performance Indictors and what reporting you require. Then let the experts get on with it.And if they don't deliver value-for-money then you have the ultimate weapon - termination - without all of the hassle if you were employing someone! Health and safety is so important to ensure the welfare of staff and others who come into contact with the business, to be able to give better service to your customers - and to ensure that you are not fined or jailed for breaches that you didn't even realise that were there. So, think about this function when you are looking closely at your cost base and I urge you to have a few conversations with likely suppliers, just to see where savings can be made. There are many suppliers out there but just be careful about being ripped off. A small business does not need to pay out thousands a year to ensure that they are complying with regulations, it can be done as part of a support package that reduces risk to a businesslike level. Helmsman have just launched a simple service that costs from £75 a month - a very small investment to ensure that, unlike the client previously mentioned, you will not have problems (see www.helmsmansafetyservices.co.uk).So when you think about your costs, join the ever increasing band of businesses who are chosing outsourcing to help them through these mad times.Tony Willson, Managing Director, Helmsman Safety Services

Specialist Services

HSE Approved First Aid. IFSM approved Fire Safety courses. Vast range of training courses for Care Industry. Vast range of courses for Construction Industry. 'Safe & Sure' health and safety support package for SMEs

Trade Bodies / Associations

Approved by Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Accredited Centre for Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) courses Fire Safety courses approved by Instituite of Fire Safey Managers Member of Federation of Small Business, Essex Chambers of Commerce and Institute of Directors

Trading Since

2000