An accreditation system needs to be introduced to ensure businesses health and safety advisers with insurance holders are competent, it has been claimed.
Judith Hackitt, chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), told the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management reception that such a measure is needed in the UK to help improve the performance of its businesses insurance customers.
She added: "We have no interest in HSE directly controlling or regulating such a scheme, but we are very keen to ensure that all professional bodies who establish an accreditation scheme do so in a way that measures competence in practice."
Ms Hackitt also said that any accreditation schemes need to encourage continuing professional development in order for them to be effective, which may interest those with business insurance.
In addition, the expert said that such schemes have to be able to apply sanctions to advisers which do not meet their standards, such as those who supply inappropriate guidance.
Recently, a HSE spokesman claimed that more needs to be done to prevent workplace fatalities in the UK, despite new figures showing that they fell to a low of 180 over the past year.
