A worker with the knowledge and authority to identify and fix safety hazards immediately.
A competent person, as defined by OSHA, is an individual who can identify existing and predictable hazards in working conditions that are hazardous, unsanitary, or dangerous to workers, and who has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them. OSHA standards for excavation, scaffolding, fall protection, and confined spaces each require a designated competent person on site. The designation is not a certification but a defined role with specific knowledge requirements.
The foreman was designated the competent person for excavation and inspected all trenches daily before workers entered.
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