- Do you know the difference between competent,
qualified, designated and certified persons?
ASME and OSHA often refer to these people
and they have very specific definitions
and implications for each one.
What if I told you that OSHA could drop by your job site
at any time and ask you questions like,
who is competent to rig that load?
Who is competent to operate that crane?
What determinations have you made to make them competent?
If you are unsure of their specific definition of competent,
by the end of this video you'll know exactly what they mean.
(upbeat music)
Certified, qualified, competent, designated,
who exactly are these people?
Trying to keep track of these specific terms
and who each of these people are can make your head spin.
My name is Ben and this is the lifting and rigging channel.
In this video, we'll help explain the definitions OSHA
and ASME have for each term and what the requirements are.
We'll help you understand what is required
to be one of these persons and who is responsible
for determining what those qualifications are.
So let's get into it.
Competent person.
OSHA defines a competent person as
"One who is capable of identifying existing
and predictable hazards in the surroundings
or working conditions which are unsanitary,
hazardous, or dangerous to employees,
and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures
to eliminate them."
So you might be asking yourself, OK, so what does that mean?
Who is that person at my job?
I get it, but let's break this down a little bit.
Let's focus on two words, capable and authorization.
So who is capable?
How do you know?
Are you capable?
Competency is demonstrated by a person's knowledge,
skills, experience and training.
It is the employer's responsibility
to designate a competent person
in a job site or in a facility.
You do not need a certificate to show competence
unless of course your employer requires it.
Let's look at the world of lifting and rigging.
If a person has demonstrated to their employer
that they have the ability to, or are capable of
recognizing hazards and performing inspections
of their lifting slings and rigging hardware
and they have the authorization to remove questionable
or damaged equipment, they are a competent person.
Qualified person.
OSHA defines a qualified person as
"A person who, by possession of a recognized degree,
certificate or professional standing,
or who by extensive knowledge or training
and experience successfully demonstrated the ability
to solve or resolve problems related to the subject matter,
the work or the project.
Here again, the answer to who this person is
is in the employer's hands.
The employer must determine what they consider
to be a recognized degree or certificate
or how they define extensive knowledge and training
or what determines if the person has the ability to solve
or resolve problems related to the subject matter.
Designated person.
OSHA defines a designated person as
"An authorized person as defined in paragraph (d)
of this section."
Okay, then who is an authorized person?
OSHA defines an authorized person as
"A person approved or assigned by the employer
to perform a specific type of duties or duties,
or to be at a specific location
or locations at the job site."
So, once again, the responsibility is on the employer
to determine if an employee can be designated
to perform a specific task or action.
Certified person.
All right, so here's where things get a bit complicated.
OSHA does not provide a definition of a certified person
and as a general rule does not certify employees,
trainers or training programs.
But dictionary.com does provide a definition
of certified and certify as
"Having or proved by a certificate;
guaranteed; reliably endorsed."
"To award a certificate to a person attesting
to the completion of a course of study
or the passing of a qualifying examination."
"To give assurance; testify;
vouch for the validity of something."
So where are we now?
OSHA does not specifically address training
or certification requirements for workers,
but many standards do require
that employers provide training
to their employees for specific safety
and health aspects related to the job they're performing.
Let's look a bit deeper into
why OSHA would avoid defining a certified person.
If a person is certified in something,
does that mean they are a qualified person
or even a competent person?
We all know a certificate does not necessarily prove
a person knows anything.
Those responsibilities of knowing if the employees know
what they need to are on the employer.
So, once again, the responsibility falls to the employer
to determine what makes their employees certified.
So what does it all mean?
If you are still a little bit confused, we understand.
These are vague and murky gray areas.
But the main takeaway is that you and your company
are responsible for defining what it means to be competent,
qualified, designated or certified.
A company needs to come up with a plan
and determine the specific requirements needed to be met
to nail down how their employees become competent,
qualified, designated and certified.
Then as these employees meet those specific requirements,
it needs to be documented.
When you have your plan in place with specific requirements
and documentation, when OSHA stops by and asks,
who is competent to rig that load?
Who is competent to operate that crane?
What determinations have you made to make them competent?
You'll be able to answer them
and provide proof to back up your claims.
So do you have a plan?
Could you answer these questions?
Could you provide proof?
If not or you're not sure, it is a great idea
to reach out to a third party like Mazzella
to help put a plan in place.
Mazzella can supply quality training courses
and can provide documentation of completion
for your training records.
If you require a certificate
from an accredited training program,
Mazzella can assist you by putting you in contact
with our partner, Industrial Training International.
Click the link in the description
to inquire about our training services
or classroom programs available through ITI,
so you can be sure that you have properly defined
and met the requirements for all your competent,
qualified, designated and certified persons.
We hope this helps clear up the confusion you may feel
when you hear people refer to
or you read standards referring to competent,
qualified, designated or certified persons.
Remember, no matter what you call the person,
having your employees sufficiently trained
will help prevent incidents.
And at the end of the day, what is most important
is keeping yourself and your team safe.
Having a properly trained employee
that meets specific requirements
for these designated persons is a very good way
to make sure you are running a safe
and responsible work environment.
If you found this video useful, informative, entertaining
or you just feel like being friendly,
then hit that like button
so we can get this information out
to everyone who needs it.
Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a video.
My name is Ben and I'll see you in the next one.
(upbeat music)