Overview

This bill mandates qualifications and accreditation for health and safety consultants in England, Wales, and Scotland, ensuring those offering advice on workplace health and safety meet specific standards. Failure to comply results in fines.

Description

The Health and Safety Consultants (Qualifications) Bill introduces requirements for anyone providing health and safety advice for payment. Specifically:

• Qualification Requirement: Consultants must possess a qualification approved by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
• Accreditation: Consultants must also obtain accreditation from the HSE.
• Scope of the Act: The bill applies to advice related to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• Offenses and Penalties: Acting as a consultant without the required qualifications or accreditation is an offense punishable by a fine (up to level 5 on the standard scale).
• HSE Costs: The HSE is empowered to charge fees to recover costs associated with implementing this Act.
• Geographic Extent: The Act covers England, Wales, and Scotland.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't specify exact figures for government spending. However, it allows the HSE to recover its costs through fees charged to consultants, implying a potential for reduced government expenditure or at least cost neutrality. The overall financial impact on the government is uncertain without further detail.

Groups Affected

• Health and Safety Consultants: This group will be directly affected, needing to obtain and maintain approved qualifications and accreditation. Failure to comply could result in fines.
• Businesses: Businesses employing consultants or seeking health and safety advice will need to ensure their consultants comply with the new regulations, potentially increasing costs or influencing their choice of consultants.
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE): The HSE will be responsible for setting the qualifications, providing accreditation, and enforcing the new regulations. This may involve additional administrative costs, offset by the recovery of costs via fees.

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