Competent person (WHS)

A competent person under the Model WHS Regulations 2011 is a person who has acquired through training, qualification, or experience the knowledge and skills to carry out a specific task or duty. The definition is purpose-built: someone is a competent person for a particular activity, not in the abstract. A scaffolder who is a competent person to inspect scaffold is not automatically a competent person to inspect electrical isolation or to issue a confined space entry permit. Verified per Model WHS Regulations definitions (2026-05-16).

Where the WHS Regulations call for a competent person:

Activity	Why competent person is required
Risk assessment	Hazard identification and evaluation require trained judgement
Confined space entry permit issue	Permit issuer must understand all the controls and hazards
Scaffold inspection	Pre-handover and weekly inspections to AS/NZS 1576/1577
Electrical isolation	Lockout/tagout of energised plant
Asbestos identification	Suspected ACM assessment by a person with asbestos-awareness training (Class A: licensed assessor; some Class B identification may rest on a competent person)
Working at heights edge protection inspection	Pre-work and ongoing during work
Excavation supports inspection	Per AS 1726
HRCW supervision	Per WHS Reg s.291
Plant pre-commissioning	Operational and safety check

Competent person is not a licence:

Licence	Competent person
Issued by a statutory body, generally state-by-state	Recognised by the employer (PCBU), not externally certified
Standardised competency framework (e.g. white card, scaffolder, plumber)	Task-specific, employer assessment
Subject to renewal, audit, and disciplinary action	Subject to ongoing employer verification
Examples: builder’s licence, plumber’s licence, electrician’s licence	Examples: scaffold inspector for this site, CSE permit issuer for this project

A licence can be evidence of competence for related activities but is not the same thing. A licensed scaffolder is generally a competent person for scaffold inspection; the inverse (a competent scaffold inspector who is not licensed) is also possible if their training, experience, and qualifications support it.

How a PCBU verifies competence:

Method	Application
Formal qualification	Trade certificate, white card, HRCW licences, professional registration
Training records	Documented training in the specific task (CSE attendant, etc.)
Experience log	Recorded hours/projects performing the activity
Demonstrated proficiency	Observed performance, assessed by a senior practitioner
Currency	Recent practice; refresher training within currency periods

The verification must be documented. If an incident occurs and the regulator audits, “she did the task last year, she’s fine” without records is not adequate evidence of competence.

Competent person vs supervisor vs PCBU:

PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking): the legal entity with primary WHS duty, generally the builder.
Supervisor: the on-site representative with operational responsibility, generally a foreman.
Competent person: a designated individual for a specific activity, may be the supervisor, may be a specialist.

Roles can overlap. The supervisor may also be the competent person for several site activities. The PCBU’s duty is to ensure a competent person is available for any activity that requires one.

Common defects:

Generic “competent person” designation without specifying which activities. Always task-specific.
Verification by self-declaration only. A worker claiming competence is not verification.
Lapsed currency. Five-year-old training in a fast-moving area (e.g. asbestos, electrical) is questionable.
Single competent person for an activity that runs across shifts. Backup or alternate must also be competent.

Also known as: CP; designated competent person; trained operator; authorised person (sometimes); WHS competent worker.

Category: WHS.

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