Applicability

A competent person is an employee who is able to recognize hazards associated with a particular task and has the ability and authority to mitigate those hazards. While all employees must be competent within their job requirements, an appointed entry supervisor has the official title of competent person within a confined space environment. A competent entry supervisor's knowledge can come from a combination of his or her skills, experience, and training and must be demonstrated.

An entry supervisor is the person fully responsible for determining if acceptable entry conditions are present at a permit space where entry is planned, for authorizing entry and overseeing operations, and for terminating entry. Basically, the supervisor is in charge of all phases of the PRCS entry. For simplicity, we will refer to the entry supervisor as the supervisor.

The supervisor is the ultimate competent person in charge. A supervisor works to ensure that all elements of the entry process meet standards set by regulations and the organization he or she is working for.

To learn more about Confined Spaces Competent Person/Supervisor visit our Confined Spaces Competent Person/Supervisor Online Training web page.