what is a competent person according to osha
When a boss calls an employee a âcompetent person,â it is not necessarily a compliment â it is a legal obligation. A competent person is an employee who is able to recognize hazards associated with a particular task, and has the ability to mitigate those hazards. Many OSHA construction standards require someone onsite â such as a foreman, supervisor or other employee â to be designated as a competent person. However, OSHA does not have a specific standard regarding a competent person, which has led to some confusion. âItâs a fairly misunderstood term,â said Phil Colleran, a Riverside, IL-based safety consultant specializing in construction and a former OSHA compliance officer.