HS Direct

What HS Direct does

HS Direct is a Sheffield, UK-based compliance documentation and software provider founded in 2004 and operating as part of Citation Group. The company sells more than 500 editable Health & Safety and HR document templates — including risk assessments, method statements, COSHH assessments, employment contracts, and staff handbooks — authored by IOSH and NEBOSH qualified safety professionals and continuously updated to reflect UK legislative changes. It serves primarily small and mid-sized UK businesses in construction, trades, and property services that need compliant documentation to operate, win contracts, and pass accreditation audits.

The underlying technology is a cloud-based platform delivering downloadable document templates, a Safety First Package for health & safety document management and accident reporting, a First for Learning e-learning system with 60+ accredited courses, a First for Contractors subcontractor compliance module, and a First for Holidays absence tracker. Distribution is via self-serve e-commerce for templates and a quote-based sales motion for software subscriptions, supplemented by a telephone expert advice line, free gated content, webinars, and accreditation support for SMAS, SSIP, Safecontractor, CHAS, and Constructionline.

The business model combines transactional template sales (priced from free to £25 per item), recurring software subscriptions, professional services (advice line, document writing, site inspections, audit assistance), and accreditation support. The company reports serving over 10,000 UK businesses since inception with 30,000+ documents purchased annually, and generates leads through SEO-led content marketing, free resources, social media, and a customer referral program. Revenue, headcount details beyond the 51–100 range, and funding history are not disclosed in source materials.

Name

HS Direct

Legal name

HS Direct

Website

https://hsdirect.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HS Direct is a UK-based provider of Health & Safety and HR compliance document templates and cloud software, serving more than 10,000 small and mid-sized businesses primarily in construction and trades with editable templates, e-learning, subcontractor management, and accreditation support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health & Safety Compliance Software

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE/EHS) Publishing (MPAJACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001) (BPAHAJAF), Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Training (EDAGANAI)

Keywords

• Health safety documents
• Compliance management software
• Risk assessment templates
• Employment law documents
• E-learning training courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Document Template Sales: One-time purchase of individual document templates for risk assessments, method statements, COSHH assessments, and HR/employment documents. Prices range from free templates to paid templates starting at £2.99.
2. Software Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to Safety First Package, First for Learning, First for Contractors, and Holidays/Absence Management software. Includes telephone support from qualified consultants.
3. Professional Services: Expert advice line, document writing support, health & safety inspections, audit application assistance, and tendering support services.
4. Accreditation Support: Support services for obtaining certifications including SMAS, SSIP, Safecontractor, CHAS, and Constructionline accreditations to help businesses win more contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HS Direct provides over 500 editable Health & Safety, HR, and Employment Law document templates (risk assessments, method statements, COSHH assessments, employment contracts) written by IOSH and NEBOSH qualified professionals, available for one-time purchase or download. The company also operates cloud-based compliance software including the Safety First Package for document and accident management, First for Learning e-learning platform with 60+ accredited courses, First for Contractors subcontractor management, and First for Holidays absence tracking, supported by an expert telephone advice line and accreditation support services.

Product overview

HS Direct operates as a document template and software platform serving UK small businesses with compliance needs in Health & Safety and HR & Employment Law. The core offering consists of over 500 editable document templates (Risk Assessments, Method Statements, COSHH Assessments, Employment Contracts, Staff Handbooks) written by IOSH and NEBOSH qualified professionals, supplemented by cloud-based software products including the Safety First Package for document management and accident reporting, First for Learning e-learning platform with 60+ courses, First for Contractors for subcontractor management, and First for Holidays for absence tracking. Additional services include expert telephone advice lines, document writing support, site inspections, audit applications, and accreditation support (SSIP, CHAS, Constructionline, Safecontractor). The company serves industries including construction, electrical, cleaning, engineering, plumbing, and property maintenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Risk Assessment Templates Ready-to-use risk assessment document templates authored by IOSH and NEBOSH qualified Safety Professionals covering construction, electrical, plumbing, cleaning, roofing, carpentry, groundworks, and other trade-specific hazards. Sold as individual downloadable templates for UK small businesses needing compliance documentation.
• Method Statement Templates Method statement document templates for high-risk work activities covering step-by-step processes, safety precautions, and compliance requirements across electrical, plumbing, groundworks, carpentry, brickwork, roofing, and general property maintenance. Sold as individual downloadable documents.
• COSHH Assessments Control of Substances Hazardous to Health assessment templates covering hazardous workplace substances such as cement, silica dust, diesel fuel, white spirit, glyphosate, PVA glue, MDF dust, and various chemicals. Sold as individual downloadable documents.
• HR and Employment Law Documents Employment contracts, staff handbooks, GDPR bundles, disciplinary policies, and compliance policies covering UK employment law requirements. Sold as individual documents and bundled sets.
• Safety First Package Cloud-based health and safety management software enabling risk assessment creation, method statement management, electronic accident and incident reporting, training course scheduling, and compliance tracking for UK businesses.
• First for Learning Accredited e-learning training platform offering 60+ courses including CPD accredited modules with employee dashboards, unique login details, progress tracking, and certificate of completion generation.
• First for Contractors Subcontractor management software enabling document requests, contractor scoring, compliance tracking, automated alerts for document expiry, and contractor pre-qualification questionnaire management.
• First for Holidays Holidays and absence management software for tracking employee leave, absences, and managing compliance with UK employment regulations.
• Expert Advice Line One-to-one telephone support service from qualified health and safety consultants providing guidance on compliance, risk assessments, and regulatory requirements. Available Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
• Accreditation Support Services Support services for obtaining certifications including SSIP, SMAS, CHAS, Constructionline, and Safecontractor accreditations to help UK businesses win contracts and demonstrate compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000+ documents purchased by 14,000 UK businesses last year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Citation GroupparentOthersHS Direct is part of Citation Group, a UK-based company providing compliance and HR services. Registered company number 05066720. This appears to be a parent company relationship.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Croner (Croner-i / Croner Group): Croner is a UK-based provider of HR, employment law, and health & safety services and templates to small and mid-sized businesses. It directly competes with HS Direct in compliance documentation, advice lines, and accreditation support for the same UK SMB construction and trades segments.
• WorkNest: WorkNest delivers outsourced HR, employment law, and health & safety services and software to UK businesses. It is comparable to HS Direct's HR compliance software bundle (First for Holidays and document templates) and H&S managed services.
• Ellis Whittam: Ellis Whittam provides UK SMBs with retained HR, employment law, and health & safety services, including templated documentation and advice lines. It is a direct competitor to HS Direct's HR/employment law document set and H&S advice subscription.
• SHE Software (SHE Assure): SHE Software (SHE Assure) is a UK-based EHS software vendor providing risk assessments, incident reporting, and contractor management for mid-market. It is a direct software peer to HS Direct's Safety First Package and First for Contractors modules.
• Peninsula Group: Peninsula is a UK provider of HR, health & safety, and employment law services and software to small and medium businesses. It competes head-on with HS Direct's templates, advice line, and ongoing compliance subscription offerings for UK SMBs.
• Greenlight Safety Group: Greenlight Safety Group provides UK H&S consultancy and contractor/subcontractor compliance management services for construction. It overlaps with HS Direct's accreditation support (SSIP/SMAS) and First for Contractors subcontractor management product.

Broad incumbents

• Alcumus: Alcumus is a UK compliance and certification group (CHAS, SafeContractor, SSIP) that overlaps with HS Direct's accreditation support (SSIP, CHAS, Safecontractor) and broader contractor compliance space, but as a much larger multi-product group.
• Citation Group: Citation Group is HS Direct's stated parent and a UK provider of HR, employment law, and health & safety services to SMBs. It is the most comparable incumbent given overlapping product lines and customer base, but operates as a broader portfolio rather than a specialized template-and-software vendor.
• EcoOnline: EcoOnline is an international EHS SaaS provider offering chemical management, risk assessment, and contractor management modules. It overlaps with HS Direct's COSHH assessments, Safety First Package, and First for Contractors offerings at the platform level.

Emerging players

• BrightSafe (BrightHR): BrightSafe is BrightHR's health & safety software suite for UK SMBs, covering risk assessments, training, and incident reporting. It is comparable as an emerging software-first competitor to HS Direct's Safety First Package e-learning combination.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HSDirectLtd
• Facebookfacebook.com/HSDirectLtd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HS Direct