Competence
Skills, knowledge, experience and training
The combination of training, skills, experience and knowledge, and the ability to apply them, that CDM 2015 requires of everyone appointed to construction work, checked by the person appointing them.
CDM 2015 replaced the word "competence" with a description of it: anyone appointing a designer or contractor must take reasonable steps to satisfy themselves that the appointee has the skills, knowledge, experience and, for an organisation, the organisational capability to fulfil the role. For individuals, the test is whether they can do the work safely: training (a card or certificate), skills (demonstrated), experience (relevant, recent) and knowledge (of the hazards and controls), together. A CSCS card shows the holder has passed a test and holds a qualification; it does not show they can operate this machine or install this system. Supervision fills the gap while competence is built.
For a contractor, evidencing competence means a training matrix showing who holds what and when it expires, records of site-specific familiarisation and supervision, and a way of matching people to tasks (the plant register in SiteLynx checks the operator's card against the machine). For the principal contractor, it means checking those records before letting a subcontractor start, and it is one of the things SSIP assesses.
Where it comes from
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 reg.8(1) to (3): general duties on skills, knowledge, experience and organisational capability.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 reg.13: capabilities and training.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 s.2(2)(c).
Questions people ask
Is a CSCS card proof of competence?
It is evidence of training and a qualification for the occupation on the card. Competence adds experience and the demonstrated ability to do this task safely. Check the card, then check the person.
How do I evidence competence for SSIP?
A training matrix with expiry dates, copies of cards and certificates, induction and toolbox talk records, and a procedure for matching people to tasks and supervising those still learning. The matrix is the document assessors ask for first.
Competence, handled on a phone
SiteLynx puts the RAMS, permits, inspections, audits, plant checks and records behind every term in this glossary on the crew's phones, signed on site, with a PDF at the end. 14 days free, no card.
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