Workplace Physician and Safety Specialist Durations: Worked Examples by Headcount

The question employers ask most often is: "How many hours a month will your specialist come?" The answer rests on a simple formula: headcount multiplied by the minutes per employee per month prescribed. In the regulations these minutes are set by hazard class.

Minutes per employee per month

• Safety specialist: low hazard 10 min, hazardous 20 min, very hazardous 40 min
• Workplace physician: low hazard 5 min, hazardous 6 min, very hazardous 8 min

Example 1: Office (low hazard, 40 employees)

Specialist: 40 × 10 = 400 minutes, about 6 hours 40 minutes. Physician: 40 × 5 = 200 minutes, about 3 hours 20 minutes.

Example 2: Metal workshop (hazardous, 80 employees)

Specialist: 80 × 20 = 1,600 minutes, i.e. 26 hours 40 minutes. Physician: 80 × 6 = 480 minutes, i.e. 8 hours. This time can be split across the month; for example the specialist is on site one day a week, about six hours.

Example 3: Construction site (very hazardous, 120 employees)

Specialist: 120 × 40 = 4,800 minutes, i.e. 80 hours. Physician: 120 × 8 = 960 minutes, i.e. 16 hours. As headcount rises, the time is seen to approach a full-time specialist assignment.

Important notes

• The time is used in planned visits across the month, not at once; visit dates are shared at the start of the year
• Visit hours are recorded in the portal and can be followed by the employer
• Regulations can change and special circumstances (shifts, construction sites) may need extra time; check headcount thresholds for the physician and other health personnel requirement

How does the cost come out?

The times are multiplied by specialist and physician hourly rates and the OSGB's administrative and documentation costs are added to form the monthly package fee. For example, in a hazardous workplace of 35 employees the specialist works 11 hours 40 minutes and the physician 3 hours 30 minutes. With the calculator on our site you can see the monthly time and estimated fee for your own headcount in seconds. The calculation is for information only; contact us for current regulations.

If the time is under-calculated

If a workplace contracts for less than the minimum time in the regulation, both the employer receiving the service and the OSGB providing it can be sanctioned separately at inspection. So it is important to have the durations written in minutes in the contract and to follow visit records from the portal.