MHF consultant

If your site is classified — or likely to be classified — as a Major Hazard Facility (MHF), you already know you're operating under some of the most stringent health and safety requirements in Australia. At DLE Consulting, we provide MHF consultancy services to help operators navigate these regulatory frameworks with confidence.

We offer practical, experienced support in safety case development, risk assessment, system implementation, and regulator engagement. Whether you’re at the start of the MHF journey or refining an established system, we help ensure that your safety obligations are met — and that your systems are more than just compliant on paper.

We understand that managing major hazard risks is about more than just documentation. It’s about demonstrating that critical controls are working as intended, that your people understand their roles, and that leadership is actively engaged in managing high-consequence risk.

Specialist Support for Complex, High-Risk Sites

We work with declared and potential MHFs in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Victoria. These are often complex, high-hazard environments with diverse operational demands and overlapping obligations.

Our clients include facilities that store or process large quantities of hazardous chemicals, such as:

Micro LNG production and gas processing facilities.
Fuel terminals and petrochemical storage sites.
Chemical manufacturing or packaging operations.
Gas-fired power generation plants.
High-volume industrial and manufacturing facilities.

Whether you’re developing your first safety case, responding to regulatory feedback, or need guidance on specific hazard scenarios, we can help you develop a clear, defensible, and practical approach that satisfies both legal and operational requirements.

What We Help With

Our consultancy services cover the full lifecycle of an MHF—from early feasibility and risk identification to operational maturity and periodic review. We work flexibly depending on your needs and the current stage in the process.

Safety Case Development and Review

We help you create or update your Safety Case so it clearly demonstrates how your facility manages major incident hazards. Our approach includes:

Developing or reviewing Safety Cases in accordance with WHS (MHF) Regulation requirements.
Mapping safety case content to regulator guidance and Safe Work Australia expectations.

Ensuring that controls described in the Safety Case are verifiably implemented and effective.
Helping prepare associated documentation, such as Safety Management System summaries and emergency plans.

We focus on clarity, credibility, and evidence, not just ticking boxes.

Risk Assessment and Bowtie Facilitation

Major hazard facilities require rigorous, transparent risk assessment processes. In association with other SMEs, we provide:

Facilitation of qualitative and semi-quantitative risk assessments.
Bowtie analysis to clearly visualise hazard pathways, controls, and assurance mechanisms.

Identification and definition of Major Incident Hazards (MIHs) and safety-critical elements.
Evaluation of the strength, effectiveness and independence of existing controls.

We help ensure your risk assessments support the narrative and logic of your Safety Case and withstand regulator scrutiny.

System and Procedure Development

We work with your team to ensure that systems are not only documented, but understood and implementable across your workforce. This includes:

Supporting the development of operational procedures aligned with MHF regulatory requirements.
Integrating MHF-specific elements into broader health and safety management systems.

Clarifying roles, responsibilities and escalation protocols during high-risk events.
Ensuring your Emergency Plan is practical, understood, and tested.

We also help align systems with ISO 45001 and other relevant standards to maintain integration with your wider business.

Regulatory Strategy and Interface

Engaging with regulators can be daunting, especially for facilities new to the MHF regime. We help you manage the process effectively:

Supporting pre-lodgement briefings and regulator engagement.
Assisting with responses to RFIs, requests for clarification, and technical queries.
Reviewing regulator comments and advising on potential system or documentation improvements.

Coaching leadership teams on what to expect during inspections and audits.

Our goal is to help you feel prepared, informed, and in control—at every stage of the regulatory journey.

Frontline workforce training

We run practical, plain-English awareness sessions for frontline workers. These are tailored to your chemicals and control measures, not generic “chemical safety” modules. Workers leave with a better understanding of labelling, PPE, emergency response, and their own responsibilities.

System development and integration

We can review and improve your broader chemical management systems — whether that’s integrating chemical risks into your HSMS, aligning documentation, or setting up better document control and review processes.

Who We Work With

We’ve supported a wide range of clients across the energy, fuel, chemical and manufacturing sectors — from large-scale operators to smaller facilities approaching the MHF threshold. Typical clients include:

Energy companies operating LNG plants, gas networks or power generation sites.
Fuel distributors and importers manage large-volume terminals or depots.
Manufacturing sites handling Schedule 15 hazardous chemicals.
Industrial businesses are expanding or transitioning toward MHF classification.

We work directly with safety managers, plant managers, engineering leads, executives and board members to provide clear, actionable advice. Whether you’re preparing for an audit, updating your Safety Case, or building your systems from the ground up, we tailor our support to fit your structure and operational realities.

Book a Free 30 minute Consultation

What Makes Us Different

We don’t approach MHF consulting with a one-size-fits-all mentality. Our consultants have real-world experience inside high-risk environments, and we know how to balance compliance with operational practicality.

At DLE Consulting, we bring:

Deep understanding of MHF frameworks across multiple jurisdictions.
Formal qualifications in WHS, hazardous chemical management, and systems auditing.

A clear, practical approach that focuses on what works, not just what looks good on paper.
The ability to turn regulatory language into understandable, implementable actions.

We know that managing a Major Hazard Facility means demonstrating ongoing safety leadership, sustaining operational discipline, and building a culture where systems are lived, not just documented.

Flexible Support, Tailored to Your Site

No two facilities are the same. We offer flexible engagement models that reflect the size, structure and maturity of your organisation. Our support can be:

A one-off review of your MIHs or Safety Case content.
Full project management — from planning to submission and regulator engagement.
Advisory support for system upgrades, incident responses or reclassification reviews.

Mentoring or coaching for in-house HSE staff managing MHF responsibilities.
On-call support during regulator audits, site inspections or follow-ups.

We also help clients align their MHF systems with existing corporate WHS frameworks, so that critical controls are embedded without duplicating effort.

Need Expert Support for Your MHF?

Are you preparing a safety case, reviewing your risk controls, or engaging with the regulator? DLE Consulting offers experienced, grounded support to help you meet your MHF obligations and manage your facility’s risks confidently.

We focus on what matters: strong systems, clear evidence, and safe, practical operations that meet the regulatory standard.

Contact us today to book a discussion or request a tailored MHF support package that suits your site and your goals.