Competent Person

On all construction sites with asbestos operations, employers must designate a competent person - one who can identify asbestos hazards in the workplace and has the authority to correct them. This person must be qualified and authorized to ensure worker safety and health as required by Subpart C, General Safety and Health Provisions for Construction (29 CFR Part 1926.20).

The competent person must make frequent and regular inspections of the job site, materials, and equipment. On job sites where Class I or II work is being performed, the competent person must perform or supervise the following duties:

• Set-up the regulated area, enclosure, or other containment
• Ensure (by on-site inspection) the integrity of the enclosure or containment
• Set up procedures to control entry to and exit from the enclosure or area
• Supervise all employee exposure monitoring
• Ensure that employees working within the enclosure or using glove bags wear protective clothing and respirators
• Ensure through on-site supervision, that employees set up and remove engineering controls, use work practices and PPE in compliance with all requirements
• Ensure that employees use the hygiene facilities and observe the decontamination procedures
• Ensure through on-site inspection that engineering controls are functioning properly and employers are using proper work practices
• Ensure that notification requirements are met

For Class I jobs, on-site inspections must be made at least once during each work shift, and at any time at employee request.

For Class II and III jobs, on-site inspections must be made frequently enough to assess whether conditions have changed, as well as at any reasonable time at employee request.

For Class I and II asbestos work, training of the competent person must include all aspects of asbestos removal and handling, including:

• abatement, installation, removal, and handling
• contents of the standard
• identification of asbestos
• removal procedures, where appropriate
• other practices for reducing the hazard

This training will be obtained in a comprehensive course for supervisors that meets the criteria of Environmental Protection Agency's Model Accreditation Plan (40 CFR Part 763), or a course equivalent in stringency, content, and length.

For Class III and IV, training of the competent person must include aspects of asbestos handling appropriate to the work, including:

• procedures for setting up glove bags and mini-enclosures
• use of wet methods
• contents of the standard
• identification of asbestos

Training must include successful completion of a course meeting EPA requirements for training local education agency maintenance and custodial staff [40 CFR 763.92(a)(2)], or its equivalent in stringency, content, and length.

Training required for Class I and II competent persons also satisfies the requirements for Class III and IV.

To learn more about Construction Asbestos Safety visit our Construction Asbestos Safety Online Training web page.