Many employers are aware they must manage health and safety in their workplace, but fewer realise they are legally required to appoint a “competent person” to help them do so.
Whether you run a construction company, warehouse, retail business or office, the law requires you to have access to competent health and safety advice. Understanding what this means – and whether you need external support – is essential for staying compliant and protecting your workforce.
What Is a Competent Health & Safety Person?
A Health and Safety competent person is someone with the knowledge, training, experience and skills to help an organisation comply with health and safety law.
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must appoint one or more competent persons to assist with health and safety responsibilities.
This person helps ensure your business can:
- Identify workplace hazards
- Carry out risk assessments
- Implement control measures
- Maintain health and safety policies
- Stay compliant with relevant legislation
The competent person provides the professional guidance needed to manage risks effectively and prevent accidents.
Can the Competent Person Be Someone in My Company?
Yes. In some organisations the competent person is an employee, such as a health and safety manager.
However, for many small and medium-sized businesses this is not practical. Health and safety legislation can be complex, and internal staff may not have the training or experience needed to manage compliance properly.
In these cases, companies often appoint an external health and safety consultant to act as their competent person.
When Should You Appoint an External Competent Person?
Many businesses choose external support when:
- They don’t have a dedicated health and safety manager
- Their projects involve higher-risk work such as construction
- They need help meeting CDM Regulations responsibilities
- They require specialist documentation or audits
- They want reassurance that their systems meet current legislation
An external consultant brings independent expertise and practical industry experience, helping businesses manage risk without the cost of employing a full-time specialist.
MAST Safety frequently acts as the appointed competent person for organisations, providing ongoing guidance, documentation support, and site advice to keep businesses compliant.
What Does a Competent Person Actually Do?
A competent person typically helps with:
- Health and safety policies and procedures
- Risk assessments and method statements
- Site inspections and audits
- Incident investigations
- Compliance with CDM Regulations
- Staff training and safety awareness
Each of these areas involves considerably more than a one-off task. For a closer look at what active, ongoing competent person support involves in practice, read our guide to what a competent person for health and safety does day to day.
The goal is to ensure health and safety arrangements are effective, documented and properly implemented across the business.
For example, risk assessments and safe working procedures must be reviewed regularly to ensure they remain suitable and sufficient for the work being carried out.
What Happens If You Don’t Appoint a Competent Person?
Failing to appoint a competent person can lead to serious consequences.
Without proper health and safety support, businesses may:
- Miss key legal requirements
- Fail to identify workplace risks
- Experience accidents or injuries
- Face enforcement action from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
In serious cases, organisations can face prosecution, fines and reputational damage following incidents that could have been prevented with proper safety management.
How MAST Safety Can Help
MAST Safety provides experienced health and safety consultants who can act as your external competent person, giving your business access to professional advice whenever you need it.
Our consultancy services include:
- Health & safety audits
- Risk assessments and documentation
- Construction site support
- CDM advice
- Accident investigation and reporting
- Ongoing compliance support
Our consultants work closely with your team to provide practical, achievable solutions that keep your projects compliant and running safely.
Need Help with Health & Safety Compliance?
If you are unsure whether your organisation has the right health and safety support in place, speaking to a professional consultant can help clarify your responsibilities.
MAST Safety works with businesses across London and the South East to provide competent person services and ongoing health and safety consultancy.
Contact our team today to discuss how we can support your organisation.
