Occupational safety providers: provider types, prices, billing
Occupational safety providers fall into a few provider types: software, freelance specialists, regional and nationwide firms, and online providers. Their hourly rates are close together. The difference lies in what the price includes, the physician and the work that stays with the business. This overview helps you choose and draws on our market study of more than 1,000 providers.
Anyone looking for an occupational safety specialist and a physician gets quotes that are hard to compare: an hourly rate here, a monthly flat fee or a price per employee there. Behind them are different provider types. These pages explain each provider type and list the questions to settle before signing.
The benchmark is the legal scope for an office. In support group III basic support is 0.5 hours per employee per year, shared between specialist and physician, each with at least 20 per cent, plus company-specific support. Above 20 employees this standard support applies unless the business chooses the employer model (up to 50 employees). The page on the external occupational safety specialist explains what that means for the contract.
What occupational safety costs
Prices from more than 1,000 providers for specialist and physician, converted to the same required hours.
Five provider types in detail
Each provider type has its own page with how it works, strengths, limits, a comparison with Safety Club and the questions for the contract.
The provider types at a glance
How the provider types charge, whether the physician is included and who they suit. The page on occupational safety pricing models explains how each model works.
| Provider type | Billing | Prices | Physician | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software without a specialist | Tiers by employees or sites | Public | Not included | businesses under the employer model that keep their own records |
| Freelance specialists | Hourly rate plus travel or monthly fee | Rarely public | Rarely included | offices with one site that want one fixed person |
| Regional service firms | Flat fee, hourly rate or hour bundle | Rarely public | Partly included | offices within one region |
| Nationwide large providers | Hourly rate per discipline plus travel time | Rarely public | Mostly included | companies with many sites or tenders |
| Online and flat-fee providers | Monthly or annual flat fee | Mostly public | Partly included | offices with up to 20 employees |
| Safety Club | Predictable annual costs | Public. Range in the quote calculator. | Included | office and administrative businesses |
Support model and provider type are two questions
Before choosing a provider comes the choice of support model: standard support, the employer model or the competence centre model. The article support models compared sets them side by side. After that it is worth looking at providers; the article on choosing an occupational safety specialist gives a checklist.
What applies to all providers
Responsibility stays with the employer, whichever provider supports you (section 3 Occupational Safety and Health Act). Specialist and physician are appointed in writing and must prove their expertise; since the new version of DGUV Regulation 2 a regular report on the services provided is also required. At the VBG at most one third of support may be digital; purely digital offers are not permitted.
A large part of the cost is not in the hourly rate: travel, preparation and follow-up, risk assessments per item, set-up fees and price adjustments. The article on six cost traps in occupational safety shows which they are and how widespread.
How Safety Club compares with all providers
Safety Club supports office and administrative businesses with an occupational safety specialist on site and the physician in the same contract. Travel, risk assessment, safety briefings, safety committee, annual report and set-up are included in the predictable annual costs. Because we work very digitally, little organisation is left for your team.
For the same legal scope, Safety Club is 30 %+ cheaper than the market average; the market study shows the comparison by company size.
What does support cost for your office?
Your own quote in two minutes: the quote calculator shows the range for your company size and location, including specialist, physician and travel.
Frequently asked questions
Which provider types are there for occupational safety?
The market study distinguishes eight provider types: software without a specialist, individual specialists, regional service firms, nationwide large providers, online providers and platforms, brokerage portals, association, chamber and insurer models, and occupational health services. Providers are assigned by main business.
Which provider type is cheapest?
For the same required hours, the providers are closer in price than advertising suggests. Advertised entry prices say little, as they mostly include only the appointment or a few hours. So always compare the price of one year of support including physician and travel.
Why do so few providers publish a price?
Most firms argue that the need is only clear after an assessment. Software and online providers are the most open, regional firms and individual specialists the most reserved. In our market study only about one provider in seven publishes a price.
Where can we get occupational safety specialist and physician from one source?
Most mostly from nationwide large providers, less mostly from regional firms and hardly ever from individual specialists. Physicians are scarce: just over a third of practising specialists in occupational medicine are 60 or older.
Can we switch occupational safety provider?
Yes, at the end of the contract term and with the agreed notice period. To switch you need the appointment of the new specialist and the handover of risk assessment and records; the article on being unhappy with your specialist describes the process.
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