If you’re new to safety, you may wonder what OSHA means by the phrase competent person.
Or even how one becomes an OSHA competent person.
In this article, we’re going to give you the straight skinny.
We’ll start by giving you the general definition of the phrase that OSHA provides in 1926.32(f). But that’s not the full story, because some standards make additional requirements about competent persons. And so we’ll provide some links to help you find those standards. And finally, we’ll give you some more links for related OSHA Fact Sheets, e-Tools, Quick Cards, and more.
This will give you any and all information you need about competent persons and the way OSHA refers to it in regulations.
This is another of our OSHA Basics series of articles in which we explain 101-level OSHA topics. For more articles like this one, see the list at the bottom.
- Learning Management Systems
- Online Safety and Health Training Courses
- EHS & Safety Management Software
- Mobile Apps for Safety Management and Safety Training
So what does OSHA mean when they’re talking about a “competent person?” Let’s take a look.
Definition: Competent Person (OSHA)
In 1926.32(f), competent person is defined as “one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.” As you probably know, 1926 is the set of OSHA regulations for the Construction industry. There is no equivalent definition for the phrase competent persons in 1910.2, the definitions at the beginning of the OSHA General Industry regulations, but OSHA seems to use the 1926 definition universally throughout their materials. Anyone have some thoughts or additional comments on that? I’d be curious.
On OSHA’s Safety and Health Topics page dedicated to competent persons, OSHA includes the definition from 1926 above. But in addition, they add this description: “By way of training and/or experience, a competent person is knowledgeable of applicable standards, is capable of identifying workplace hazards relating to the specific operation, and has the authority to correct them. Some standards add additional specific requirements which must be met by the competent person.”
Standards With Additional Specific Requirements to Be Met By Competent Person
If you notice that definition just above, OSHA mentions that some standards include additional specific requirements a person has to meet as a competent person.
OSHA’s been kind enough to provide a list of those for you. Just click the following link for a list of the OSHA standards that use the phrase competent person.
Please note the link above also takes you to some additional information OSHA has pulled together about mentions of competent persons in:
- Preambles to final rules
- Directives
- Standard interpretations
Full disclosure: We started copying all those links and writing them down in this post, but it was maddeningly boring and we didn’t seem to be providing any value to you that OSHA didn’t already provide in their list. So, we hope you don’t hold it against us that we quit and gave up. Hats off to someone at OSHA for putting a lot of work into that list. 🙂
Additional OSHA Documents or Resources Referring to Competent Persons
OSHA has also provided a list with links to publications, e-tools, and similar resources that include additional information about competent persons as mentioned in specific regulations or work scenarios. We’ve provided those for you here.
- Scaffold Use in the Construction Industry Guide
- Suspended Scaffolds e-Tool
- Steel Erection Inspection e-Tool
- Residential Fall Protection Program Update
- Cranes and Derricks Wire Rope Inspection Fact Sheet
- Fall Prevention Training Guide
- Reducing Falls During Residential Construction Fact Sheet
- Job-Made Wooden Ladders Fact Sheet
- Powered Platforms Fact Sheet
- Working Safely in Trenches Quick Card
- Trenching and Excavation Safety Fact Sheet
More Info from OSHA about Competent Persons
You may also want to check out this OSHA Safety and Health Topics webpage on Competent Persons.
Your Experiences: Are You an OSHA Competent Person?
So what about you? What are your experiences? Are you an OSHA competent person? If so, in what work context?
Or, if you’re an employer, how difficult is it for you to identify and designated your competent persons? What issues are involved?
If you’ve got something to share, the comments section below is waiting for you.
More OSHA Basics Articles
Here are some more FYIs about OSHA to help you out:
- OSHA Basics: Letters of Interpretation
- OSHA Basics: OSHA’s Consultation Services
- OSHA Basics: OSHA Directives
- OSHA Basics: OSHA Variances
- OSHA Basics: OSHA’s Vertical and Horizontal Standards
- OSHA Basics: OSHA’s Parts 1910 and 1926
- OSHA Basics: How OSHA Standards are Named and Numbered
- OSHA Basics: Incorporation by Reference (IBR)
- OSHA Basics: The OSHA Field Operations Manual
- OSHA Basics: OSHA’s Small Business Handbook
- OSHA Basics: The General Duty Clause-5.(a)(1)
- OSHA Basics: OSHA’s Special Industry Standards in Subpart R
- OSHA Basics: The OSHA Poster
- OSHA Basics: The Competent Person Role
- OSHA Basics: OSHA Penalties
- OSHA Basics: OSHA’s Yearly Top Ten Lists (Recent Years Overview)
- This three-article series on OSHA General Industry Compliance Requirements
- This three-article series on OSHA Inspections
Have a great day, and feel free to download our free guide to conducting a Job Hazard Analysis, below.
Job Hazard Analysis Guide
Learn how to perform a job hazard analysis on the job with our free step-by-step guide.
I need to be trained in OSHA w.r.to safety of chemical process so that I can lead infront to guide others.
kindly revert back with course and others.
Hi, Ravindra,
Please check out our site at http://www.convergencetraining.com.