competent person

A term with different meanings in different contexts. Contractors in arboriculture and forestry are likely to have certificates of competence in specific skills such as chainsaw use, having attended short courses run by the National Proficiency Tests Council or its equivalent In complying with health and safety law, for instance to conduct a risk assessment, the Health & Safety Executive describes a competent person as ‘someone who has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities’ for the task For advisory practice, a recognized professional qualification, adequate experience and membership of a relevant professional organization are usual. Chartered status is a further mark of competence in the professional sphere.



This definition is abridged from A – Z of tree terms: A companion to British arboriculture.
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