Access a quick summary of what a competent person is with AI
What is a competent person in health and safety?
A competent person is someone who helps an organisation meet its health and safety duties. They must have the right combination of knowledge, skills, and practical experience to understand workplace activities, recognise hazards and risks, and apply relevant health and safety law. Because of this, a competent person can identify effective solutions to reduce health and safety risks in your workplace.
Examples of competent persons
Competent persons are often managers, supervisors, or employees who have received specific training in a particular area. An organisation may appoint one competent person to cover a broad range of responsibilities, or several competent persons to oversee specific tasks.
In a health and safety context, examples may include:
Fire safety competent person – someone trained in fire safety who keeps their knowledge up to date. They can identify fire hazards, review controls, and support compliance with fire safety requirements.
Manual handling competent person – a supervisor with extensive experience overseeing manual handling activities and formal training as a manual handling assessor. They can assess tasks, loads, environmental, and individual factors, and train colleagues on safe techniques.
Risk assessment competent person – a health and safety manager with formal risk assessment training and significant experience producing risk assessments. They can assess risks across the organisation and recommend appropriate control measures.
First aid competent person – a trained first aider who has completed an accredited workplace first aid course. They can deliver first aid when required and maintain accurate first-aid and incident records.
Construction site competent person – a site manager with detailed knowledge of the site, workforce, and activities. They can coordinate work safely and help ensure compliance with the Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations.
There are many other types of competent person depending on your work environment. For example, in an office, there may be a Display Screen Equipment (DSE) competent person, or someone responsible for stress and wellbeing.
What does a competent person do?
A competent person’s role is to support the organisation in managing health and safety effectively. Key responsibilities include:
- Identifying hazards, assessing the likelihood and severity of harm, and implementing appropriate control measures to reduce risk or remove it entirely.
- Supporting legal compliance by ensuring safety procedures are applied correctly and consistently.
- Promoting a positive safety culture by engaging colleagues, supporting safety initiatives, and helping organise or deliver training where needed.
They carry out these duties using a mix of technical knowledge, practical experience, and personal qualities such as good judgement and clear communication.
Why do organisations need a competent person?
Under Regulation 7(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer must appoint one or more competent persons to help them comply with health and safety law.
This applies to all organisations, regardless of size. Even in a small business, employers must ensure they have access to competent health and safety support.
Who to appoint as a competent person
You can appoint more than one competent person, and many organisations do. The number you need depends on your workplace size, risks, and the nature of your work.
A competent person may be:
- You/the employer
- An employee
- Someone brought in from outside the business
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommend using internal employees where possible, because they naturally understand your operations, people, and risks best.
However, external support may be appropriate where requirements are complex, or specialist expertise is needed.
How to determine if someone is competent
To be appointed as a competent person, the individual should be able to demonstrate:
- Relevant experience, skills, and capability – this may come from training, practical work, or both. They must have enough real-world experience to carry out the role effectively.
- A solid understanding of health and safety law – and how it applies to your workplace.
- The right attitude and judgement – including a genuine commitment to health and safety and willingness to take on the role.
- Confidence communicating across the organisation – to explain expectations clearly, influence others appropriately, and share updates effectively.
Ways to assess competence
You can assess someone’s suitability for the role through:
- Observation – reviewing how they complete tasks and follow safety controls in practice.
- 121s and appraisals – discussing performance, development, and suitability formally.
- Interviews – exploring their experience and how they would approach and handle different scenarios.
- Peer reviews – gathering input from colleagues on communication style, teamwork, and reliability.
Who is responsible for designating a competent person?
Managing health and safety is ultimately the employer’s responsibility. That means the employer must ensure that a competent person (or persons) is appointed and supported to do the role effectively.
How to become a competent person
If you want to become a competent person in your organisation, there are steps you can take to ensure your suitability for the role.
Knowledge and skills – complete relevant training, attend workshops or webinars, and develop a sound understanding of health and safety law and practice.
Experience – gain practical exposure to workplace activities and risks and apply your learning in real situations.
Continuous improvement – stay up to date with regulatory changes and industry trends. Seek feedback from managers or peers to identify areas for development.
Failure to appoint a competent person
Because appointing a competent person is a legal requirement, failing to do so is a breach of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Poor health and safety management can lead to serious consequences, depending on the severity of the issues:
Legal repercussions:
- Prosecution and imprisonment (in serious cases)
- Fines and penalties
- Enforcement notices
Operational repercussions:
- Accidents, injuries, and incidents
- Lost time and cost from downtime, repairs, clean-ups, and investigations
- Low morale and disengagement, leading to higher staff turnover
- Reputational damage
How can Notify help with health and safety management?
While we can’t appoint a competent person for you, Notify makes it much easier to manage health and safety compliance day-to-day by providing simple systems for reporting, assessing, tracking, and improving safety performance.
Our h&s software includes modules for:
Incident Reporting – empowers employees to quickly report observations, hazards, near misses and accidents via a mobile app, helping you capture issues early, investigate faster, mitigate risk and prevent repeat events.
Audits and Inspections – build, customise, and manage all kinds of safety, health, environmental, and quality checks. Assign and schedule audits for your team to complete on the go, making inspections easier to complete and ensuring standards are met across sites.
Risk Assessments – create, share, and standardise risk assessments and templates. Add control measures to mitigate risks and calculate hazard risk scores, giving you a clearer view of priority risks and supporting more effective decision-making.
Method Statements – create and complete digital risk assessment and method statement templates, ensuring work is planned safely and teams follow agreed safe systems of work.
Action Tracking – assign corrective and preventive actions and monitor progress in real time, with email notifications to keep everyone on track. This makes follow-up simpler and helps ensure safety issues are actually resolved – not just recorded.
Document Management – digitises policies and procedures and ensures version control, so employees always have access to the latest guidance. This supports compliance with standards such as ISO 45001, ISO 14001, and ISO 9001, and reduces the risk of outdated processes being used.
Safety Intelligence – provides digital dashboards for tracking and visualising safety performance, helping you spot trends, measure improvement, and focus efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact.
Together, these tools help organisations proactively identify risks, streamline compliance, ensure employees are using the latest procedures, and engage their workforce in a positive safety culture.
Book a free demo today to explore how Notify can strengthen your safety culture and drive measurable improvements.