How does your company ensure that workers are competent to operate equipment and perform the tasks assigned to them?
As business owners and safety professionals, one of the first questions we should be asking is:
"Is this person competent to do this job?"
Most companies know they need to perform competencies, but struggle to build the program, create the forms, train assessors, and stay consistent.
On major projects, I learned firsthand how often incidents were directly tied to one thing: the worker was not competent to perform the task. Many were assigned dangerous jobs with minimal hands-on experience or training beyond a classroom certificate.
The biggest danger?
Not knowing what we don’t know.
Assuming a worker is competent because of a resume or certificate is a recipe for injuries, downtime, and liability.
The good news: you can build a standardized process that removes the guesswork and ensures workers are only performing tasks they are competent to complete—or supervised by someone who is.
Before building a program, it helps to understand the terminology:
A person who has the necessary ability, knowledge, and skill to perform a task safely and successfully.
An assessment tool used to evaluate and verify a worker’s skill level through observation and documentation.
Understanding the difference is key: competencies are how you prove someone is competent.
Creating a strong program becomes manageable when you break it into steps.
Your experienced workforce already knows the job better than any manual. Bring them into the process early, they will become your assessors and help define what competence actually looks like.
Look back at the past year of incidents, near misses, and injuries.
Which of them were caused by:
inexperience
inadequate training
incorrect assumptions
new worker errors
These insights help prioritize which tasks and equipment need competency evaluations first.
Collect:
OH&S legislation
Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Manufacturer’s guidelines
Critical task lists
Then combine this with the real-world, practical knowledge of your experienced workers. Include:
body positioning
environmental awareness
common mistakes
contextual hazards
These nuances rarely appear in manuals—but they’re crucial.
Each competency assessment should include:
task/equipment being evaluated
checklist items based on legislation + SOPs + SME knowledge
reason for assessment (new hire, refresher, post-incident, etc.)
space for comments from both worker and evaluator
follow-up training recommendations
This documentation becomes your proof of due diligence.
Competencies should be:
consistent
routine
documented
repeated when tasks change or skills fade
Evaluate new workers by walking them through real tasks where every required skill can be observed.
In this video we teach you the importance of competency checks and then how you can build or strengthen your existing program.
Builds confidence and prevents overwhelm
Reinforces that the company values their safety
Encourages workers to request training proactively
Strengthens safety culture and communication
Reduces incidents, injuries, and downtime
Improves work quality and reduces rework
Increases compliance with OH&S legislation
Demonstrates due diligence
Supports worker retention
Ensures consistent expectations across all sites
Competency assessments protect both people and business outcomes.
Most companies struggle because competency programs require:
paperwork
training assessors
tracking completions
follow-up reminders
updating records
storing documentation
Safety Evolution was built to solve exactly that.
With digital competency assessments, you can:
Send automatic reminders for follow-ups
Attach completed competencies to worker profiles instantly
Let evaluators complete assessments electronically
View results in real-time across all sites
Never miss required refresher training
Reduce administrative time dramatically
For many safety teams, this feels like finally getting their time back.
If you need help:
building your competency program
improving what you already have
or streamlining everything using software
—we can walk you through it step-by-step.
Get guidance on competency programs and see how Safety Evolution can support your team.
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