How do you meet OSHA’s competent person requirements?
This is a question that comes with a lot of confusion. The reason for the confusion is a lot of contractors perceive this requirement as being general, when there are actually specific requirements.
The employer has the responsibility to designate the people that are going to be the competent persons for specific operations. OSHA defines a competent person as one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surrounding or working conditions, which are unsanitary hazardous, or dangerous to employees and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them. OSHA determines if the person is competent by the compliance of the OSHA standards to ensure the place of employment is safe for the workers. You might say the “proof is in the pudding is if you’re doing safety in accordance of OSHA’s requirements.”
The OSHA 1926 standards address the specific requirements that require a competent person. A list is provided to identify when OSHA requires a competent person for the operation. For example fall protection in the OSHA standards will identify the requirements for the competent person. Some of the competent person requirements would not apply if you do not have that specific type of operation. If you can not find or understand the competent person requirements contact Phil Mercuris or Ryan Hoenicke at 515-288-8904 for assistance.
OSHA construction standards which require competent persons include:
- Accident Prevention Responsibility
- Ionizing Radiation
- Asbestos
- Hearing Protection
- Welding And Cutting
- Respiratory Protection
- Scaffolding
- Slings
- Cranes And Derricks
- Electrical
- Material/Personnel Hoists And Elevators
- Fall Protection
- Excavations And Trenching
- Concrete, Concrete Forms And Shoring
- Requirements For Lift Slab Operations
- Tunnels And Shafts, Caissons, Cofferdams And Compressed Air
- Bolting, Riveting, Fitting Up And Planking Up
- Underground Construction
- Demolition – Preparatory Operations
- Compressed Air
- Lead
- Mechanical Demolition
- Ladders
