What is a competent person under OSHA?

Construction, 29 CFR 1926.32

“Competent person means 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.”

Personal fall protection systems, 29 CFR 1910.140

“Competent person means a person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in any personal fall protection system or any component of it, as well as in their application and uses with related equipment, and who has authorization to take prompt, corrective action to eliminate the identified hazards.”

Powered platforms, 29 CFR 1910.66

“Competent person means a person who, because of training and experience, is capable of identifying hazardous or dangerous conditions in powered platform installations and of training employees to identify such conditions.”

• 29 CFR 1926.20, General safety and health provisions One paragraph uses the term. Read the text on eCFR.
• 29 CFR 1926.451, Scaffolds: General requirements 11 paragraphs use the term. Read the text on eCFR.
• 29 CFR 1926.502, Fall protection systems criteria and practices 4 paragraphs use the term. Read the text on eCFR.
• 29 CFR 1926.651, Specific excavation requirements 5 paragraphs use the term. Read the text on eCFR. Not the same definition: 29 CFR 1926.650(b), the excavation definitions, repeats it with a comma added after "surroundings".
• 29 CFR 1926.652, Requirements for protective systems 2 paragraphs use the term. Read the text on eCFR. Not the same definition: 29 CFR 1926.650(b), the excavation definitions, repeats it with a comma added after "surroundings".
• 29 CFR 1926.1101, Asbestos 20 paragraphs use the term. Read the text on eCFR. Not the same definition: 29 CFR 1926.1101(b) adds requirements for asbestos work to this definition.
• 29 CFR 1910.140, Personal fall protection systems 3 paragraphs use the term. Read the text on eCFR. Not the same definition: 29 CFR 1910.140(b) defines the term for personal fall protection systems in its own words, quoted above.
• 29 CFR 1910.66, Powered platforms for building maintenance 9 paragraphs use the term. Read the text on eCFR. Not the same definition: 29 CFR 1910.66(d) defines the term for powered platforms in its own words, quoted above.

• Qualified person In construction, someone with a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or extensive knowledge, training and experience, who has shown an ability to solve problems on the work.
• Scaffold Any temporary elevated platform, supported or suspended, and its supporting structure, used to support employees or materials.
• Trench A narrow excavation made below the surface of the ground, generally deeper than wide and no more than 15 feet wide at the bottom, including one narrowed to that by forms or structures.
• Protective system A method of protecting employees from cave-ins, falling or rolling material, or the collapse of adjacent structures.
• Authorized employee A person who locks out or tags out machines or equipment to perform servicing or maintenance on them.
• Cave-in The separation of soil or rock from the side of an excavation, or from under a shield or support system, and its sudden movement in, enough to entrap, bury or otherwise injure and immobilize a person.
• Confined space A space large enough to enter and work in, with limited or restricted means of entry or exit, not designed for continuous occupancy.
• Lockout/tagout Placing a lockout device or a tagout device on an energy isolating device so that equipment is not operated during servicing.
• Personal fall arrest system In construction, a system used to arrest an employee in a fall from a working level, made of an anchorage, connectors and a body belt or harness.

All terms in the OSHA glossary

1. 29 CFR 1926.32, Definitions. eCFR, text as of October 27, 2026.
2. 29 CFR 1910.140, Personal fall protection systems. eCFR, text as of October 27, 2026.
3. 29 CFR 1910.66, Powered platforms for building maintenance. eCFR, text as of October 27, 2026.

Written by Cairn, updated October 29, 2026. The quoted text is copied from the sources above. A test compares each quotation with a stored copy of the source, and a separate script compares that copy with the live sources. This page explains the law and is not legal advice.