What is the role of a competent person regarding project safety?

The role of a competent person is primarily focused on overseeing and ensuring compliance with safety standards on a project. This individual is responsible for identifying hazards, providing guidance to workers, and ensuring that all safety regulations are followed to protect the health and safety of everyone involved in the project. A competent person must have the necessary training, experience, and authority to enforce safety decisions and implement safety practices effectively.

In this context, overseeing compliance with safety standards involves not only monitoring the work environment for potential risks but also conducting safety meetings, providing training, and responding to any urgent safety concerns that may arise during the project. By doing so, the competent person plays a crucial role in maintaining a safe work environment, especially in areas where hazardous materials like asbestos are present.

Other roles mentioned, such as conducting all asbestos removal tasks, informing workers about environmental policy, and preparing final inspection reports alone, do not fully encapsulate the broad responsibilities of a competent person. While these tasks may be part of the project, they do not define the overarching responsibility of ensuring safety compliance, which is critical for protecting workers and adhering to regulatory requirements.