About

Paul Smith

Occupational Hygienist

Paul Smith, who founded this company, started working for the Health and Safety Executive in 1995 when he joined as a Regulatory Inspector after previously working as an Environmental Health Officer for three west midland local authorities where he got the H&S bug.

As a regulator, Paul has a wide range of experience particularly in manufacturing, engineering, health and social care and other service industries, including the investigation of numerous fatalities and other serious injuries and cases of ill health.

Paul enforced H&S law where it was necessary to help prevent further harm occurring by way of verbal advice, written notification, the serving of Improvement and Prohibition Notices and on occasions securing justice through prosecution at either Magistrates or Crown Court. Paul gave evidence at several Coroner’s Inquests.

Paul decided to further his career by undertaking the Post Graduate Diploma in Occupational Hygiene from the University of Manchester, achieving the best exam results of his intake. He was subsequently awarded the Diploma of Professional Competence in Occupational Hygiene from the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) and is now a Chartered Member of BOHS.

Paul worked in HSE’s Occupational Hygiene Unit working in the field visiting with, and advising regulatory inspectors on health risk management. He also worked for the Technical Policy Team specialising in risks associated with metalworking fluids and in the surface engineering industries (e.g. electroplating and powder coating). He wrote internal standards for regulatory inspectors and wrote externally facing standards for industry so that they could control their health risks.

During the COVID pandemic, Paul was seconded to HSE’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Division where he worked on the approval process of a range of non-CE marked PPE which were required to protect workers in the National Health Service and within the social care industry.

Paul has wide experience with advising and enforcing the COSHH Regulations in particular but also has experience in other health related regulation (e.g. lead at work and confined spaces). Paul has recently been engaged by the Institute of Occupational Medicine based in Edinburgh and by Cogent Risk Management to undertake expert witness work in civil litigation cases. Paul has undertaken expert witness training both within HSE and also Bond Solon.