Competency in Safety

Understanding, Application, and Motivation

" Imagine a worksite where everyone takes responsibility for hazard recognition and control." (Carl Potter)

What would it be like to look over your shop floor or visit your worksite and realize that every person there is competent and trained to perform work safely? Some might say that’s Utopia. (The word Utopia means "no-place" or "non-existent place".) In other words, they might say there’s no possibility to have a workplace where everyone is entirely capable of doing their jobs safely. Yet, that is something to work towards.

Take heart. It can be done, but it takes commitment by top leaders who want to create competency in safety — commitment to build understanding, promote application, and instill motivation. While many executives tend to be more comfortable with spreadsheets, balance sheets, and the like, than they are with safety processes and procedures, they have a responsibility to oversee safety of the employees and contractors who work for the organization. Part of that responsibility is ensuring the organization has safety-competent personnel.

During the investigation of a serious injury or fatality, an OSHA inspector will likely ask organizational leaders the question: "Who is the safety competent person?" You may find a number of people pointing fingers at others, perhaps reminiscent of a Three Stooges comedy. Yet, it’s not funny.

The company leaders have an obligation to know who the competent people are, not just the company safety manager or the person designated as "in charge of safety". No one person can know all there is to know about every aspect of safety in the organization; in other words, no one can be expected to be the overall safety-competent person.

Competency is based on knowledge and experience of the person assigned to do specific work, which gives them the ability to recognize hazards and the authority to mitigate the hazard.  Consider OSHA’s definition:

Under OSHA, General Safety and Health Provisions, Construction, Definitions (1926.32(f) "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.

Hence, during an investigation, company leaders may find it difficult to make a case for the safety manager being safety-competent.

OSHA compliance officers will be quick to tell you that not everyone meets the "competent person" designation. The fact is, nobody is competent in all areas of safety.

Creating competency in safety is a journey that must begin with basic understanding, application, and motivation to know and do the work without injury to self and others. General safety courses such as the OSHA 10- and 20-hour courses are good for general education but do not deeply address areas where competency is required.

Here are a few areas where safety competence must be specific: Electrical Work, Scaffolding, Excavation, Hazardous Material, Machine Guarding, and Other as designated by your own worksite hazard assessment and industry standards.

A worksite assessment will help you to identify the specific safety competencies that are required. This is a process that should be undertaken as part of your safety management process (SMP) and create an organizational standard to be developed and maintained.

When it comes to safety competency, organizations must be specific — however all employees at every level (from the CEO through the college intern) need to be trained to recognize hazards of all types. According to OSHA’s General Duty Clause (the most cited regulation) the employer must mitigate all recognized hazards. The first step to mitigation of hazards is recognition. Secondly, employees must be able to evaluate the risk level and then apply controls.

As a leader in your organization, do your part to:
• ensure that everyone understands their role with regard to specific skills and general hazard recognition and control,
• provide sufficient training so employees know how to apply the safe work procedures to their specific work, and
• motivate employees to take responsibility and be accountable for safety throughout the organization.

Each of these actions can mean that your workplace, shop, or work site is one where it’s difficult to get hurt. Which means more people will go home to their families every day without injury.