Investigation, Advisory or Support: which would your business benefit from?

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When businesses face health and safety challenges, the hardest part is often knowing where to start. Some organisations are dealing with the immediate fallout of an incident. Others are confident their systems are working but want independent confirmation. Many know what needs to be done but lack the people or expertise to push it through. Each scenario demands a different approach, and choosing the wrong one can mean wasted time, unnecessary cost, or risks that remain unresolved.

That’s where the right guidance makes all the difference. At +IMPAC, we see three main entry points: investigation, advisory, or support. They are not competing services but complementary pathways. Investigation establishes the facts and responsibilities when things go wrong. Advisory provides clarity, benchmarking, and a roadmap for improvement. Support delivers capacity and capability to make change happen. The question is not whether you need one, but which one you need first, and that’s exactly what this guide will help you decide.

Investigation: clarity when things go wrong

Investigation is the first priority when incidents occur, near misses raise concern, or regulators are involved. In these moments, speed matters, but so does accuracy. An internal review alone is rarely enough, as it can lack independence and credibility. +IMPAC’s incident investigation services provide a clear, impartial account of what happened, why it happened, and what must change to prevent it from happening again.

Our specialists use a range of recognised models and tools, tailoring the approach to your context so that findings are both rigorous and practical. Beyond root cause analysis, we deliver recommendations that can be acted on immediately. This ensures that lessons are learned and improvements embedded, not simply documented.

Where legal exposure is a concern, we work under privilege with your lawyers to provide legal liability assessments, helping you understand your position before anyone else defines it for you. In the most serious cases, our experts can also act as witnesses, giving credible testimony in court to support either defence or prosecution.

Investigation is not just about satisfying regulators. Done well, it restores confidence, demonstrates accountability to staff and stakeholders, and creates a platform for safer operations in the future.

Advisory: confidence through independent insight

Not every organisation waits for an incident before asking hard questions. Many seek health and safety advisory services to gain clarity about current performance, benchmark against good practice, or provide boards with independent assurance. Advisory is about understanding where you stand today and what needs to happen next.

+IMPAC offers several advisory options designed to match different needs:

• Gap analysis identifies whether critical hazards are understood, whether controls are adequate, and where the most significant risks remain.

• Health and safety reviews provide a high-level overview of performance, suitable for board reporting and stakeholder communication.

• Management system reviews test whether policies and processes actually work in practice, examining not only technical elements but also culture, leadership, and communication.

• Audits and annual audits give assurance that standards are met, whether for internal confidence or external certification.

• Critical risk reviews focus attention on the hazards most likely to cause serious harm, ensuring resources are directed where they matter most.

The outcomes are always clear, actionable, and aligned with both New Zealand regulations and recognised standards. Advisory isn’t just theory for the sake of it; it’s independent evidence that helps leaders sleep easier, knowing where they are on track and where investment is needed.

Support: capacity when you need it most

Even when the priorities are clear, businesses often struggle with implementation. Limited time, limited expertise, or limited headcount can slow progress to a crawl. That’s where support services provide the missing capacity. At +IMPAC, we place experienced health and safety specialists directly into your organisation, for as long as you need them. They can deliver projects, cover staff vacancies, or simply give your existing team the breathing space to focus on their core responsibilities.

Support can take many forms. Our consultants build or refine health and safety management systems, aligned to both New Zealand and international standards. We help develop practical standard operating procedures, written to reflect how work is actually done rather than just how it should be done on paper. We streamline contractor safety management with our PREQUAL system, saving you the administrative burden of pre-qualifying contractors while ensuring only safe, competent providers are engaged. We also integrate digital tools like Risk Manager, automating compliance tasks and freeing up valuable time.

The value of support is in its flexibility. You can engage expertise for a short-term project, a longer-term placement, or an ongoing partnership. In every case, the aim is the same: to reduce risk, increase capability, and give leaders confidence that progress will not stall for lack of resources.

How to decide which Health and Safety path is right for you?

The best way to choose between investigation, advisory, or support is to start with your immediate challenge. Each pathway answers a different question.

• investigation is for when something has gone wrong. A notifiable event, a serious near miss, or regulator interest requires a clear account of what happened, why it happened, and what liabilities or risks need to be managed straight away.

• Advisory is for when leaders need assurance. Whether it is a board preparing for certification, an executive team seeking independent benchmarking, or a business gearing up for growth, advisory delivers clarity, confidence, and a roadmap of priorities.

• Support is for when you know the priorities but lack the time, people, or expertise to make them stick. The goal is implementation: embedding improvements and sustaining progress without overwhelming existing teams.
  
  

In reality, these services often work best in sequence. An investigation might uncover systemic gaps. Advisory then provides a structured assessment of those gaps across the business. Support brings in the resources to close them. What matters is not choosing one forever, but choosing the right one for where you are today.

Ready to take the next step?

Whether you need facts after an incident, independent assurance for your board, or extra hands to drive change, +IMPAC has the expertise to guide you. Our investigation, advisory, and support services are designed to meet you where you are and move your business forward with clarity and confidence.

If you’re unsure which path fits best, start with a conversation. We’ll help you identify the right approach and give you a clear view of what comes next.

Consultation Services FAQs

When should my business consider a legal liability assessment?

A legal liability assessment is essential when there has been a serious incident or near miss that could lead to regulatory or legal consequences. +IMPAC works with your legal team under privilege to provide a confidential evaluation of your potential liabilities. This helps boards and executives make informed decisions quickly, with a clear understanding of the risks involved.

How does a health and safety audit differ from a review?

A health and safety audit is a structured, evidence-based check of whether specific processes or areas meet established standards. It can also act as a pre-audit before external certification. A health and safety management system review, however, takes a broader strategic view. It evaluates how your entire system functions in practice, from critical risk management through to leadership behaviours and communication. Both services are part of +IMPAC’s advisory toolkit, but they serve different purposes depending on your needs.

What is a critical risk review and why is it important?

A critical risk review identifies and assesses the hazards most likely to cause serious harm to staff, contractors, or the public. By focusing on these high-impact risks, businesses can ensure their resources are directed where they will make the most difference. +IMPAC’s independent specialists provide a clear analysis of exposures and practical options to close any gaps, ensuring that critical risks are never overlooked.

Can’t we just handle health and safety internally?

Yes, and many organisations do. If you have a dedicated health and safety person, +IMPAC even offers training courses to strengthen their skills. But internal teams can only go so far. They may be too close to the work to notice blind spots, or lack the expertise for complex tasks like a legal liability assessment or an independent incident investigation.

External input adds objectivity, benchmarks your performance against recognised standards, and provides assurance to boards and regulators. Services such as gap analysis, critical risk reviews, and contractor safety management are more effective when tested by specialists who can confirm that systems are working in practice, not just on paper.