As we briefly mentioned in last week’s blog post, regulations require employers to identify and appoint a competent person to oversee health and safety at the workplace. But what exactly does this mean? What skills is a competent person expected to have and what if there is nobody within your business that fits the requirements? This is what we’ll discuss this week.
According to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, a competent person is defined as one who has ‘the ability to undertake responsibilities and perform activities to a recognised standard on a regular basis. It combines practical skills, knowledge, and experience.’
Unfortunately, the definition is a bit vague, as the criteria listed is rather broad, and can be slightly confusing. Simply explained, a competent person is someone who helps your business stay compliant with health and safety legislation by taking all necessary steps to keep your employees safe. This includes being able to recognise health and safety hazards and identifying the most appropriate solutions.
According to HSE guidelines, you can appoint either one or a combination of the following:
Most times, managing health and safety can be done by yourself and your workers and, unless your business involves complex work, there should be a member or multiple members of staff at your workplace who can deal with these situations as long as they receive the relevant training. Hiring a competent person in-house is encouraged by the Regulations as your team members already know your business and the risks associated with it.
The skills and qualities of the appointed competent person should be relevant to the type of work carried out at your business. Consider whether the individual:
Your appointed competent person is not required to have a formal qualification, but this doesn’t mean they don’t need the knowledge and skillset to perform basic health and safety practices. Even if they have enough experience and a great work ethic, they wouldn’t be considered competent if they’re not familiar with procedures such as risk assessments, for example.
This is why one of the most important aspects of ensuring your appointed employee is competent is by providing them with appropriate training. Healthcare Professional Institute’s Occupational Health Technician Training Course can help you ensure that they have the ability to properly and comprehensively perform their health and safety responsibilities within a defined field of competence, keeping your workforce and organisation safe and compliant with law.
You can easily book your place(s) onto our course by clicking the button below. For more information, please don’t hesitate to email [email protected] or contact us on 01455 245740.
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