Competent Person

A competent person is someone with the training, skills, knowledge, and experience needed to carry out a task or duty safely and correctly.

In UK health and safety law, a competent person is someone who has sufficient training, skills, knowledge, and experience to manage a particular task or hazard safely. The concept appears throughout legislation: for example, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to appoint competent persons to help meet their health and safety duties, and LOLER requires thorough examinations to be carried out by a competent person.

Competence is not a formal qualification alone; it is the combination of relevant knowledge and practical experience appropriate to the risks involved. What counts as competent varies with the complexity of the task.

On site, demonstrating competence often relies on records such as training certificates, cards, and experience, which is why maintaining a clear picture of who is competent to do what is an important part of workforce management.