ENSURING COMPETENCE
October 1st 2007 The BSIF's position on the need for some form of independently assessed competency audit to verify the abilities of safety personnel, similar to the CORGI scheme, has been well voiced over recent months.
While the principles tend to meet with a general acceptance that such a scheme is desirable, there are many views regarding how achievable this could be, and many of these are coloured by vested membership or financial interests.
The situation is not helped by the ways in which the legal requirements are pitched. The regulations make it very clear that the responsibility for ensuring that competent personnel are engaged in all aspects of occupational health and safety rests solely with the employer.
While the BSIF has no issue with this it does present the opportunity for a less than competent individual to over-present their credentials with no ultimate responsibility for misleading a potential employer or user of their services. It is worth noting that any provider of advice and guidance in the construction industry who over presents their competence also commits an offence under regulation 4.1b.
This total responsibility on employers also tends to create other significant challenges. Enforcement tends to check that the employer has used some form of methodical judgment in the selection and deployment of competent people and leave it at that.
That is until an accident or an incident occurs - at that point, it is apparent that some lack of competency has been demonstrated. Any employer doing his level best to ensure that he complies with his obligations can only use qualifications and references to make an assessment on competency - get it wrong and someone suffers and the possibility of court action follows.
In the collectively expressed opinion of BSIF members, it would be far better if a nationally based scheme could be put in place.
The BSIF has now recognised the difficulties of persuading others to take a leap of faith and sign-up to the idea of such a national scheme and is now seeking to engage with organisations and institutions who would likely carry out the necessary accreditations. In doing so, the BSIF hopes that such an engagement, with potential scheme stakeholders, will increase their motivation to participate.
If any readers sympathise with the BSIF position and feel that their own trade body or institution should get involved, we would very much like to hear from you – comments through the editor please. More articles from British Safety Industry Federation: | 
