Forklift Feature Articles
Appoint a competent person to help with forklift safety
The Health and Safety Executive provide a lot of information about appointing a competent person to help meet health and safety legal duties. This information is reproduced over the following three pages as it obviously applies to forklift trucks.
As an employer, you must appoint a competent person or people to help you meet your health and safety legal duties. (This is true even if you don't have any forklift trucks).
A competent person should have the skills, knowledge and experience needed to help you manage health and safety in your business. It’s not usually essential for them to have formal qualifications and they’re not required by law to have formal training, although it can help.
Who you can appoint
You could appoint (one or a combination of):
- yourself
- one or more of your workers
- someone from outside your business
Usually, managing health and safety isn’t complicated and you can do it yourself with the help of your workers. You know your workplace best and the risks associated with it.
If there’s a competent person within your workforce, use them rather than a competent person from outside your business.
Using a consultant or adviser
If your business or organisation doesn’t have the competence to manage health and safety in-house, for example, if it’s large, complex or high risk, you can get help from a consultant or adviser. But remember, as the employer managing health and safety will still be your legal duty.