What Does a Competent Health & Safety Person Actually Do?

### Regulation 7: Access to Competent Assistance Under Regulation 7 of the **Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999**, every UK employer must appoint one or more competent persons to assist them in undertaking the measures needed to comply with health and safety duties. ### What Constitutes Competence? Competence is a combination of **knowledge, training, skills, and experience**, alongside an understanding of the specific operational risks of the business. A competent person appointed by an organisation must be capable of: * Identifying workplace hazards and evaluating risk severity * Recommending proportionate control measures * Reviewing statutory policies and RAMS (Risk Assessments & Method Statements) * Assisting during enforcement liaison or accident investigations ### Retained Outsource Model vs Internal Employment For many SMEs, housing providers, and growing businesses, employing a full-time Chartered Health & Safety Practitioner is cost-prohibitive. Appointing **Lanahan Risk Management Services Ltd** as your retained competent person provides named access to a **Chartered Safety Practitioner (CMIOSH)** listed on the OSHCR register without the overhead of an internal executive salary. *Note: While LRMS provides competent professional assistance, ultimate employer and management duties remain with the legal duty holders.*