What is a Competent Person as defined by OSHA?

A competent person can determine existing and predictable hazards within working conditions per OSHA standards. These include unsanitary or dangerous situations that can prove hazardous to the employees. A competent person also can take quick corrective action to eliminate said dangers. Jobsite insurance Illinois can also help if you acquire it from professionals.

Some of those standards also come with additional requirements that the competent individual must take care of.

A Competent Person, According to OSHA Standards

The term ‘competent person’ is used in several OSHA standards and documentation. However, there is no specific standard regarding the said individual. There is no set way to get this designation or get more information on it.
For example, several construction standards that OSHA sets require professionals onsite. This includes a supervisor, foreman, or any other employee designated as a competent person.

For example, if you are considered the best excavator in the state, chances are you have more than 20 years of experience and education in soil mechanics. However, you cannot be called a competent person if you must call someone else to fix the slope of a trench.

The opposite is true as well. If you are the owner of a construction business that employees fear, if you cannot tell if a trench is about to collapse at a glance, you are NOT a competent person as per OSHA standards.

The Industries That Require Competent Person Training

According to OSHA, there are three sections of their regulations that necessitate the creation of a specific competent person category. These are:

1. Fall protection.
2. Excavations.
3. Scaffolding.

There is no Ladder Competent class since most people don’t know what the regulations entail or probably because employers think everyone knows how to use a ladder.

The only person who can deem you competent is your employer, even if you are trained for it. No third-party company can give you that designation because they cannot give you the authority to stop operations if you think it is wise. Even if your employer signs you to become a competent person, they don’t know if you absorbed the information well and can be trusted as per OSHA standards.

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