DEFINITION
An OSHA competent person is someone capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to workers, AND who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
ALSO KNOWN AS · OSHA competent person · designated competent person
OSHA defines 'competent person' in 29 CFR 1926.32(f). The definition has two inseparable halves: knowledge and authority. The person must be capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions, and they must have the employer's authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate those hazards. A worker who can spot the hazard but cannot stop the work or order the fix is not a competent person under the standard.
The competent-person role appears throughout the construction standards: each-shift and monthly crane inspections (1926.1412), excavation and trenching (1926.651), scaffolding (1926.451), fall protection (1926.502), and many others each require a designated competent person. The qualifications are task-specific — being a competent person for trenching does not make someone competent for crane inspection. The employer designates competence by knowledge, training, and experience relevant to the specific work.
Crucially, OSHA does not issue a 'competent person card.' Competence is demonstrated by the person's actual ability to recognize the relevant hazards and by documented training and experience, and the employer is responsible for the designation. In an inspection or citation, OSHA will probe whether the designated person genuinely had both the recognition ability and the corrective authority for the specific hazard.
The competent person is the linchpin of daily and monthly equipment inspections — they are the one whose judgment determines whether a crane, scaffold, or trench is safe to use that shift, and whose authority lets them red-tag or stop work the moment a deficiency crosses into a safety hazard.
AUTHORITATIVE · SOURCE
29 CFR 1926.32 — Definitions (competent person) (OSHA.gov)FREQUENTLY · ASKED
Two things together: the ability to identify existing and predictable hazards in the work, and the employer's authorization to take prompt corrective action to eliminate them. Knowledge without corrective authority is not enough.
No. OSHA does not issue a competent-person certification. The employer designates the person based on documented training, knowledge, and experience specific to the hazard, and must be able to defend that designation.
RELATED · TERMS
An OSHA qualified person is one who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, work, or project.
OSHA 1926.1412 is the construction-crane inspection standard within Subpart CC. It mandates three inspection tiers: each-shift inspections by a competent person, monthly documented inspections, and a comprehensive annual or 12-month inspection by a qualified person.
A red tag marks equipment as out of service and unsafe to operate until a defect is corrected. When an inspection finds a safety-affecting deficiency, the equipment is red-tagged and removed from service so no one can use it before the repair is verified.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is the OSHA-required practice of isolating and de-energizing machinery so it cannot start up during service or maintenance. Under 29 CFR 1910.147, each energy-isolating device is locked and tagged, protecting workers from the unexpected release of hazardous energy.
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