Health & safety, made practical.
Independent health & safety consultancy for construction, property and commercial businesses — clear advice, proportionate documentation and hands-on support that protects your people, keeps you compliant and lets you get on with the job.
Safety that works on site — not just on paper.
Every employer has a legal duty to protect the health and safety of their workers and anyone affected by their work. That means assessing risks, putting the right controls in place and having access to competent health & safety advice.
Meridian Environmental gives you that competence without the cost of a full-time in-house advisor. We cut through the jargon, focus on the risks that really matter in your business and give you documents and systems your team will actually use.
Health & safety support built around your business.
From a single risk assessment to an ongoing retained service, we provide the support you need.
Competent Person Service
Acting as your appointed competent health & safety advisor, with ongoing advice and support whenever you need it.
Policies & Safety Management Systems
Writing or reviewing your health & safety policy, procedures and management system so they reflect how your business really works.
Risk Assessments & RAMS
Task-specific risk assessments and method statements that are clear, site-relevant and easy for your teams to follow.
Site Inspections & Audits
Planned and unannounced site safety inspections and management system audits, with prioritised actions and clear reports.
CDM 2015 Support
Supporting clients, principal designers and contractors with their CDM duties, including construction phase plans and pre-construction information.
COSHH Assessments
Assessing hazardous substances used in your work — from dust and fumes to chemicals — and setting out the controls needed.
Accident Investigation & RIDDOR
Investigating accidents and near misses to find root causes, advising on RIDDOR reporting and putting measures in place to prevent a repeat.
Accreditation Support
Helping you prepare for SSIP schemes and pre-qualification such as CHAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline, and for client tender questionnaires.
Toolbox Talks & Contractor Management
Toolbox talks and briefings for your teams, plus systems for vetting, inducting and monitoring the contractors you bring on site.
Ongoing support or one-off projects.
Choose the level of support that suits your business — and change it as you grow.
Retained Health & Safety Advisor
We become your competent health & safety advisor, giving you a single point of contact who knows your business and is there when you need them.
- Appointed competent person for your business
- Unlimited telephone and email advice
- Regular site inspections and audits
- Policy and document reviews kept up to date
- Support with incidents, enforcement and tenders
Project-Based Support
Support for a specific job, project or deadline — ideal if you have in-house capability but need extra expertise or capacity.
- Policies, risk assessments and RAMS
- CDM documentation for a single project
- One-off site inspections or audits
- Accident investigations
- Accreditation and tender preparation
From first review to continuous improvement.
Review
We get to know your business, visit your sites and review your current arrangements against the law and good practice.
Prioritise
We give you a clear, prioritised action plan — focusing first on the highest risks and the most important legal requirements.
Implement
We produce or update your policies, risk assessments and procedures, and help you put them into practice with your teams.
Monitor
Through inspections and audits, we check that controls are working on the ground and flag issues before they become incidents.
Improve
We review performance, learn from incidents and near misses, and keep your system up to date as your business and the law change.
The legislation we help you meet.
We help you understand and meet the key health & safety requirements that apply to your work, including:
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
The core law setting out the general duties of employers, employees and others to ensure health and safety, so far as reasonably practicable.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Requirements for risk assessment, health & safety arrangements and access to competent health & safety assistance.
CDM Regulations 2015
Duties for clients, designers, principal designers and contractors on construction projects of every size.
COSHH Regulations 2002
Assessing and controlling exposure to hazardous substances, including construction dusts such as silica.
Work at Height Regulations 2005
Planning, organising and carrying out work at height safely, using the right equipment and competent people.
RIDDOR 2013
Reporting certain workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the enforcing authority.
This is a summary for general information only. The requirements that apply depend on your business and activities — we'll confirm exactly what applies to you.
Health & safety support for
Common health & safety questions
Do I legally need a competent health & safety person?
Yes. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must appoint one or more competent people to help them meet their health & safety duties. This can be someone in your business with the right skills, knowledge and experience, or an external consultant like Meridian.
Do I need a written health & safety policy?
If you employ five or more people, you must have a written health & safety policy and record the significant findings of your risk assessments. Even smaller businesses benefit from having clear written arrangements — and many clients will ask to see them.
What are RAMS?
RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. The risk assessment identifies the hazards of a task and how they're controlled; the method statement sets out step by step how the work will be done safely. Clients and principal contractors commonly ask for RAMS before work starts on site.
Can you help us get CHAS, SafeContractor or Constructionline?
Yes. We can review your current arrangements against the scheme requirements, help you put together the policies and evidence you need, and support you through the application.
What happens if the HSE visits and finds a problem?
If an HSE inspector finds a material breach of health & safety law, they can take enforcement action — from written advice to improvement or prohibition notices — and recover their costs through Fee for Intervention. We can help you prepare, respond to any findings and put things right quickly.
How often should we have a site inspection or audit?
It depends on the level of risk. Higher-risk activities such as construction and demolition usually benefit from frequent site inspections, with a full management system audit at least once a year. We'll recommend a frequency that's proportionate to your work.
Need health & safety support?
Talk to us about competent, practical advice for your business.