Every employer is required under law to appoint a Competent Person (or Competent Persons) to assist them meet their legal health and safety obligations. This means an employer must appoint someone competent to provide the right advice on all matters of health and safety. The appointment of someone to take on the Competent Person role is one of the most significant steps that an employer can take when it comes to managing health and safety effectively. Without someone in the competent person role, providing competent health and safety advice it is difficult to see how any organisation can effectively manage health and safety.

Within the UK it is a legal duty to appoint a competent person or persons. An employer who has not made an appointment of a suitable person to fulfil the competent person role is in breach of  a statutory duty under health and safety legislation and therefore becomes for criminal prosecution.

The appointed Competent Person may be an internal appointment supported by external expertise or an external appointment. In either case as professional health and safety consultants we can provide a competent person servce so that you are able to meet this most fundamental obligation.