What My Courses Do
• Bridge the Compliance Gap -They break down complex legislation like the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 into simple, actionable steps tailored for sole traders and small businesses.
• Support Multiple Learning Style - Each course can be read, watched, or both, with video walkthroughs for those who prefer to learn visually rather than reading everything.
• Colour‑Coded Clarity - A unique system separates Mandatory requirements (what the law says you must do) from Best Practice (what you should do to work safely and professionally).
• Build Your Own Compliance Checklist - Instead of generic self‑assessments, the courses guide you to create a personalised, practical compliance checklist based on the information that applies to your work.
Why Choose My Courses Over Others?
- Built on Front-Line Experience: I combine 6 years as an Army Medic and 7 years as an RAF Firefighter. I don't just teach safety; I have spent 13 years at the sharp end of what happens when safety fails.
- Prevention-First Mindset: My goal is to prevent the need for my civilian equivalent emergency service colleagues are never needed to be called to your workplace.
- Personal Relatability: Having been a sole trader myself before working in H&S as a Personal Trainer, I understand the pitfalls of thinking Health and Safety law doesn't apply to me. I’ve lived through the confusion of leaving a structured environment like the military and entering the civilian business world.
- Decade of Expertise: I bring 10 years of dedicated Health and Safety experience including high-stakes environments like TATA Steel directly into your hands through an accessible, online format. Also by consultation if you find you require further advice.
By using these courses, you aren't just "ticking a box" you are building a resilient business foundation designed by someone who has seen the real-world consequences of being unprepared.
I’m currently developing the full range of courses, and you’ll start to see them coming through from April 2026. Please see below for the ones already in development.
Health and Safety Compliance Awareness for Sole Traders and Small Businesses
This Health & Safety Compliance course gives learners the choice to read, watch videos, or use both, so multiple learning styles are supported. Content is clearly colour‑coded to separate mandatory legal requirements from best‑practice guidance, making it easy to understand what must be done and what should be done for safer working.
The course is designed to be simple, practical, and confidence‑building, helping sole traders and small businesses learn in the way that suits them best.
Manual Handling for Sole Traders and Small Businesses
This Manual Handling course supports different learning styles by giving learners the choice to read, watch videos, or use both, with clear colour‑coding to separate mandatory legal requirements from best‑practice guidance. It focuses on safe, practical techniques that sole traders and small businesses can apply immediately.
The course also highlights the HSE’s current campaign to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), with a strong emphasis on F10‑notifiable projects, including refurbishment work where risks are higher. Independent contractors may be included in inspections, so understanding and demonstrating compliance is essential to avoid enforcement action and keep work moving safely.
Dangerous Goods Awareness Course
This Dangerous Goods Awareness course is built for sole traders and small businesses who need a clear understanding of their duties under the Carriage of Dangerous Goods Regulations (CDG) in the UK and ADR when travelling outside it. Learners can read, watch videos, or use both, with colour‑coding to separate mandatory requirements from best‑practice guidance. The course explains when you may need to appoint a DGSA, when you simply need awareness training, and what exemptions apply based on quantities, job roles, and the specific products you carry.
It uses everyday examples like paints, aerosols, fuels, adhesives, cleaning chemicals, and batteries to show how rules apply in real working situations. Learners are guided through limited and excepted quantities, what training is required when these apply, and where the threshold sits for needing a full ADR licence. The aim is to give small operators confidence in knowing exactly what applies to them so they can stay compliant without overcomplicating things.
About Emily Ahern
Hi, I’m Emily the founder of Ahern’s Health & Safety Compliance Coaching. My path into health and safety hasn’t been a straight line, but every step has shaped the way I support sole traders and small businesses today.
I started my career as a medic in the Army, where I spent six years. For a few years I was delivering frontline team medic training. That role taught me how to stay calm under pressure, communicate clearly, and make safety second nature often through dynamic risk assessing in fast‑changing situations. It was here that my interest in health and safety really began.
After leaving the Army, I spent two years in civilian roles before joining the RAF as a firefighter. Over more than seven years in the RAF, I spent four of those focused on fire safety conducting fire risk assessments, developing and delivering training, and supporting annual fire safety programmes across multiple stations. I also took on wider health and safety responsibilities, completing risk assessments, DSE assessments, and waste‑management compliance. During this time, I completed my NEBOSH qualifications in both Health & Safety and Fire Safety, knowing I would eventually transition out of the RAF due to injury.
That transition took me to Llanwern TATA Steel, where my health and safety knowledge grew rapidly. It was a challenging environment in the best way. I had to adapt how I communicated so that my message landed with people from all backgrounds and roles. One of my most valuable qualifications there was becoming a Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser, and I played a key part in improving compliance in that area before going on maternity leave.
While on maternity, I took voluntary redundancy and finally gave myself permission to build something of my own. The idea for Ahern’s Health & Safety Compliance Coaching came from a very personal place. Between the Army and RAF, I tried to start a personal training business and I was completely naïve about what I needed to do to protect myself. I assumed the gym’s insurance and risk assessments covered me. They didn’t. There’s so much free information out there, but none of it helped me understand what I actually needed for my business. Looking back, I realise how exposed I was simply because no one had ever explained it in a way that made sense.
That’s why I do what I do now.
I want to give sole traders and small business owners the confidence I didn’t have at the start. My goal is to make health and safety simple, clear, and genuinely useful not overwhelming, not full of jargon, and never designed to make you feel “not enough.” You deserve to run your business with confidence, knowing exactly what you need to comply with and why it matters.
If you’re building something of your own, I’m here to help you protect it.
iosh Member
“I am currently a new Affiliate Member of IOSH and am actively working towards achieving Technical Membership (Tech IOSH). This reflects my commitment to maintaining high professional standards and continually developing my expertise in health and safety.”
BADGP Member
“I am a member of the British Association of Dangerous Goods Professionals (BADGP), demonstrating my commitment to best practice in the management and carriage of dangerous goods.”
