The importance of "Competence" is a recurring theme in regard to Health and Safety in Construction.

As a client, under the CDM2007 Regulations, you have a legal duty to check out the competency of anyone you employ to advise you.

The Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) refers to:

• "assessing competency against the specific project on which the organisation is to be engaged."

The ACoP goes on to state that to be competent, an organisation or individual must have:

• "sufficient knowledge of the specific tasks to be undertaken and the risks which the work will entail"
  
  
• "sufficient experience and ability to carry out their duties in relation to the project, to recognise their limitations and take appropriate action in order to prevent harm to those carrying out construction work, or those affected by the work."

For this reason, you must make reasonable enquiries to check the competency of anyone you engage to advise you on construction projects.

Download and read our own Evidence of Competence Statement, which is presented in the recommended format of the ACoP and industry guidance on competence.