Competent Person

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) defines a competent person as "a person who is qualified because of their knowledge, training and experience to do the assigned work in a manner that ensures the health and safety of every person in the workplace, and knowledgeable about the provisions of the Act and regulations that apply to the assigned work, and about potential or actual danger to health or safety associated with the assigned work." The employer authorizes the competent person to take immediate corrective action regarding these situations. There are numerous tasks that require the skill and knowledge of a competent person, particularly when tasks require the use of heavy machinery. For example, a competent forklift operator must be able to perform a pre-operational check as well as safely operate the machine. Competence of lift truck operators is discussed in more detail later in this course.

To learn more about Forklift Safety visit our Canada Forklift Safety Online Training web page.