EM 385-1-1 Scaffold Competent Person Training Requirements.

Who the Competent Person Is

The Competent Person for Scaffolding is designated in writing by the employer to be responsible for the immediate supervision, implementation, and monitoring of the Scaffold Work Plan. They must have the training, knowledge, and experience in scaffolding to identify, evaluate, and address existing and potential hazards, and the authority to take prompt corrective measures (paragraph 22-2.a). Erecting, moving, dismantling, or altering scaffolding must be done under their supervision (paragraph 22-8.c(1)).

Training and Qualification

Paragraph 22-3.b says the competent person must:

• Have a documented minimum of 8 hours of scaffold training, including training on the specific type of scaffold being used
• Be experienced on the specific scaffold systems, assessing the base material, load calculations for materials and personnel, erection, and dismantling
• Have training in any special steps for installation
• Know the drawing, and how the scaffold is installed and removed from the areas where it's used

The employer determines the competent person's training, but it must include assessment of the base material, load calculations for materials and personnel, erection and dismantling, and the training requirements in the applicable ANSI standard (paragraph 22-3.b(5)). The manual lists ANSI/ASSP A10.8, Scaffolding Safety Requirements, among the chapter's references (paragraph 22-1.a).

Inspections and Tags

A competent person inspects all scaffolds and components for visible defects before each work shift and after anything that could affect structural integrity (paragraph 22-5.a). Every inspection is documented on a scaffold inspection tag, and every scaffold is tagged by the competent person before use. The tag carries the competent person's name and signature and the dates of the initial and daily inspections, and says whether the scaffold is complete and safe to use, incomplete and not ready for use, or incomplete and unsafe to use (paragraph 22-5.c). The manual recommends color-coded tags (paragraph 22-5.c, note).

Training Others, AHAs, and Plans

The competent person trains the employees who erect, disassemble, move, operate, repair, maintain, or inspect scaffolds to recognize the hazards of that work (paragraphs 22-3.c and 22-4.a(2)), decides whether it's safe to work on a scaffold during storms or high winds, and determines the feasibility and safety of providing fall protection and access (paragraph 22-4.a). The scaffold AHA names the Competent Person for Scaffolding (paragraph 22-6.e), and the competent person reviews the AHA with the entire crew immediately before work starts (paragraph 22-6, note).

A written Scaffold Work Plan is required for tube and coupler scaffolds of any size, supported scaffolds with a height to base width ratio greater than four to one, suspended scaffolds, and scaffolds that need tenting for weather (paragraph 22-7.a).

Our Scaffolding Competent Person Training is eight hours, taught in person at your site or another predetermined location. For the difference between the competent and qualified person, read competent person vs qualified person.