What is a Competent Person

In the UK, several competent person schemes were implemented in the building sector between the years 2002 to 2010. This allowed builders and workers to self assess their work against health and safety regulations. This begs the question:

What is a competent person?

According to the HSE, the definition of a Competent Person is as follows: “someone who has the necessary skills, experience, and knowledge to manage health and safety“.

A competent person is important because they are knowledgeable about the health and safety regulations at their workplace. This not only makes them responsible, but it also gives them the authority to correct irregularities. Depending on your industry, a competent person might have different requirements. You can find out more about industry specific information on the HSE’s official website.

What are the responsibilities?

By law, employers are responsible for providing a safe environment for their workers. It is also the employer’s responsibility to appoint a competent person. This can be the employer themselves, one or more of their workers or even someone outside of the company. However, whenever possible, we recommend having a designated person within the employer’s workplace. The employer is responsible for ensuring the designated person receives adequate training, and that they can apply their knowledge in real life situations.

While the responsibilities may vary from one industry to another, the Competent Person’s duty is to ensure health and safety requirements are being met. Minerva Health and Safety Consultancy can effectively help you as your competent person adviser, offering professional support for you and your company.

Contact us for more information:

Contact us today for more information on our Competent Person scheme and how we can help you. Our highly qualified consultants are more than happy to answer any questions you may have: Call us on 01752 202 040 or email us using info@minervahealthandsafety.co.uk.