subject: How Do You Know If You Are Competent Enough To Carry Out A Coshh Risk Assessment? [print this page] HSE guidelines state that the only qualification required to undertake a CoSHH risk assessment, is that the person involved should be 'competent'.
In a nutshell, this means that the chosen assessor must have the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to do the job properly. The assessor should be able to analyse any risks in relation to work activities that involve hazardous substances.
Certain tasks can expose people to hazardous substances and the assessor should be aware of this. They should also possess the ability and the authority to collect all the relevant information as well as possess the knowledge, skills and experience to make informative decisions about how to control exposure.
The competent person does not need to be an expert, but is usually a member of staff. They should however, know their knowledge limitation in certain areas and call on expert advice at such times. It may even be the case that a group of employees could work as an efficient and competent team and draw upon their different areas of specialism.
There are no specific training courses which help a person become competent in CoSHH. A few courses exist for employees to go on which focus on risk assessments but few courses that focus primarily on CoSHH risk assessments. Management are responsible for deciding who is competent enough in the field of CoSHH at work.
The manager should take into account the assessor's current and previous work experience and training records and if needed, appoint them for a trial period. The competent person should have a good understanding of the operations and substances in the assessment. They should also have access to and working knowledge of CoSHH Regulations and the associated Approved Code of Practice.
Effectively, it is the manager's primary responsibility for the assessment which has been carried out. This includes any measures which have been implemented as a result of the CoSHH risk assessment. If legal action should transpire from the assessment, then it will usually be the employer who is sued and not the chosen 'competent' person.
It is vital then, that should the designated assessor feel they cannot make a sufficient and satisfactory assessment, they should notify their employer. If, however, they are still expected to proceed with the assessment, they should ensure that they document and record their objections.
by: Dale Allen
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