Competent Person vs. Qualified Person
Many OSHA rules say a task must be inspected or supervised by a “competent person” or designed by a “qualified person.” These are specific roles with specific meanings.
- Construction
- General Industry
Competent person
OSHA defines a competent person as someone who:
- Can identify existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous to employees, and
- Has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them, including stopping the work.
A competent person is designated by the employer. Knowing the hazards isn’t enough; they must also have the authority to fix them.
Where you’ll see it: excavations and trenches, scaffolds, fall protection, ladders, cranes, asbestos, silica, steel erection, confined spaces.
Qualified person
A qualified person is someone who, by having a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or by extensive knowledge, training and experience, has successfully shown the ability to solve problems related to the subject matter, the work or the project.
Where you’ll see it: designing scaffolds, fall protection systems and anchorages, rigging plans, and electrical work (a “qualified” electrical worker is trained to work near exposed energized parts).
Side by side
| Competent person | Qualified person | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Recognize hazards and correct them on site | Solve technical problems, design systems |
| Must have authority to stop work? | Yes | Not by definition |
| Typical example | Foreman who inspects a trench every day | Engineer who designs the shoring system |
Tip: On day one, ask who the competent person is for the work you’ll be doing. That’s who to go to with questions about trench, scaffold or fall protection safety.
Other roles: You may also hear “authorized person” (someone the employer approves for a specific task or to be in a specific area) and “designated person.”
Standards & references
- 29 CFR 1926.32: Definitions (f) competent person, (m) qualified
- OSHA: Competent person
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