Scaffolding Safety: The Role of the Competent Person

Southwest Scaffolding understands that scaffolding plays a significant role in construction. However, scaffolding can also be dangerous if not used and erected safely. Therefore, Southwest Scaffolding is fully Committed to the safe use of scaffolding. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) sets the standards for construction safety in the United States. The regulations include the safe use of scaffolding, including walk-through frames, ladder frames, crank-ups, hydraulic scaffolding, and more .One of the most important regulations is the Competent person or persons. 

What is a Competent Person, and Who Decides? 

A Competent Person has been trained in scaffolding, including erection, use, and dismantling. This would not be someone who has basic knowledge of scaffolding, has used scaffolding before, or has a basic understanding of OSHA regulations. A competent person possesses a wisdom far beyond the basics. They have been adequately trained and take their job seriously. 

Who decides who the competent persons are?

This mainly falls on the employer. The employer evaluates the individual's qualifications, experience, and training to ensure they qualify as competent persons and meet OSHA requirements. OSHA sets the standards and helps employers find and train competent persons by offering OSHA 360 and similar training. 

Key Attributes of a Competent Person

Communication — Communication is vital when coordinating a complex structure, such as scaffolding. The workers must understand not only their role of keeping everyone safe but also the roles of the other scaffolders and persons who will be using the scaffold. They must be able to convey instructions in real-time and be clear and concise in their instructions to others. 

Decision-Making — Construction is a fast-paced environment. Schedules are often tight, requiring quick thinking and quick actions to ensure the employees' safety.

Technical -  A competent person must have knowledge and discernment of scaffolding, including set-up, dismantling, load limits, and safety equipment such as safety rails, gates ladders, tie-offs, and fall restraint systems. Having this knowledge lets the competent person be able to assess risks and make correct decisions when assessing the safety of the scaffolding. 

Other Essential Skills of the Competent Person 

The skills of the component person are multifaceted and vital to maintaining safety on the job site. Some of these skills include:

• Pre-operation inspections. The inspections are conducted at the setup and each day before work starts and every time workers return, such as after lunch. They should also be inspected at the end of each day. They should know what scaffolding tags are and how to use them. 
• Finding and Correcting defects and deficiencies immediately.
• Monitoring scaffolding operations, ensuring that all industry and OSHA standards are met.
• Providing guidance to other employees on safe scaffold practices, including proper load handling and weight limits.
• Assessing site conditions that could affect scaffold safety. This would include wet and icy conditions, uneven terrain, obstructions and obstacles, and electrical hazards. Monitoring loads and conditions before and during scaffolding use. 
• When accidents or near misses happen, the competent person should determine the cause and take corrective measures. 

The Importance of the Competent Person 

Competent persons play a critical role in construction. Some of these reasons are: 

Safety- they are proactive in finding hazards and correcting them, preventing accidents.

Compliance—Competent persons have a thorough knowledge of OSHA and industry regulations, keeping the job site safe and compliant.

Mitigation of risks- Competent persons mitigate the risks involved by keeping safety protocols up to date maintaining a strong company culture that keeps safety to the forefront and encourage vigilance and accountability.

Southwest Scaffolding Prioritizes Safety and Compliance At Southwest Scaffolding, we know how important competent persons are to the safety and culture of the job site. Errors on the job site could have grave consequences. Safety on the job hinges on how well the competent person does their job. Between the efforts of employers and industry bodies such as OSHA to find and train competent persons, we can ensure the safety of scaffolding on every job. Southwest Scaffolding encourages employers to take the role of competent persons seriously, safeguarding the well-being of employees, fostering accountability, and strengthening company culture. Fundamentally, when it comes to scaffolding safety and multi-story structures, safety should not just be the goal but the cornerstone of a good company.