A competent person is a person who can demonstrate that they have sufficient professional or technical training, knowledge, actual experience, and authority^* to enable them to:-

a.          carry out their assigned duties at the level of responsibility allocated to them;
b.          understand any potential hazards related to the work (or equipment) under consideration;
c.       detect any technical defects or omissions in that work (or equipment), recognise any
        implications for health and safety caused by those defects or omissions, and  be able to
        specify a remedial action to mitigate those implications.

^*Note: “authority” here means delegated authority to the individual by his employer to carry out a certain function or duty

Going onto or assembling a mobile access tower will involve working at height. The Advisory Committee on Work at Height Training (ACWAHT) indicate that for anyone who works at height, the above definition of a competent person implies:

·                   To know and understand the specific legal duties under the Work at Height Regulations which apply to them as an individual

·                   To understand who controls their activity and the lines of communication to use

·                   To understand the principles of fall protection that the Regulations require to be used

·                   To be able to recognise safe and unsafe situations / activities

·                   To understand how to deal with the hazards associated with the task allocated to them

·                   To have adequate training in the correct use and limitations of any work equipment allocated to them for the task

·                   To understand the need for and the ability to check the adequacy of the safety equipment allocated to them

·                   If that equipment has been issued to them on a personal basis, an understanding of the correct procedure for storage, maintenance and inspection

·                   To understand safe procedures of work and state the correct procedure for the task, the emergency (including rescue) procedures in place for the work and their role in it

·                   To know the procedure for reporting any defects, hazards or unsafe procedures they detect

TRAINING MEMBERS

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PASMA SUPERVISOR'S ACCESS TOWER INSPECTION COURSE

Course content: this course, the latest from PASMA, is designed to enable delegates to know and understand current safety legislation, inspect erected towers for faults, accurately check components against the manufacturer's instruction manual and, generally, to be more aware of the potential risks and hazards. Topics covered include component identification, assembly criteria, stability, overloading, adverse weather and working in public places. Delegates are asked to undertake risk assessment exercises on three different scenarios, complete a fault identification task and sit a test paper.

Successful delegates receive a course certificate, plus a copy of the new PASMA Code of Practice, an access inspection checklist, the relevant manufacturer's assembly guide and a copy of the course notes.

For details of PASMA training members, please click here:

TRAINING MEMBERS

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