Competent Person

Excavation Competent Person Requirements

What OSHA actually requires of a Competent Person, and who an employer can designate for the role.

OSHA's Definition

A Competent Person is someone capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

Who Can Be Designated

OSHA does not require a specific certificate, license, or third-party credential to become a Competent Person - there's no such thing as an "OSHA Competent Person certification" issued by OSHA itself. The employer designates the individual, based on that person's knowledge, experience, and demonstrated ability to identify hazards and act on them. Training like our Competent Person course builds the knowledge base; the employer's designation grants the authority.

Typical Duties

Classifying soil using visual and manual tests
Selecting and verifying protective systems
Conducting daily inspections before each shift, after rainfall, and whenever conditions change
Stopping work and removing workers from a hazardous area when needed
Overseeing the site's written excavation safety program

Multiple Sites

OSHA doesn't set a fixed limit on how many sites one Competent Person can cover, but they must actually be able to perform the required daily inspections and respond to hazards at each site. Spreading one person too thin to inspect adequately doesn't meet the standard's intent.

Training Supports, Doesn't Substitute For, Designation

Completing Competent Person training is a strong foundation, not an automatic qualification. The employer must still formally designate the individual and confirm they have the site-specific understanding needed for the excavation work being performed. See Credential Transparency for the full explanation of what a certificate does and doesn't establish.

Official reference: OSHA's Competent Person eTool guidance →