Building Workforce Competence for ISO 45001 Workplace Safety
ISO 45001 Clause 7.2
Make sure workers are competent in the parts of their work that affect OH&S, and keep records.
ISO 45001 Clause 7.2 - Competence
ISO 45001:2018 Clause 7.2 requires the organisation to determine the necessary competence of workers that affects or can affect OH&S performance, make sure workers are competent on the basis of appropriate education, training or experience, take action where needed to acquire and maintain competence and evaluate the effectiveness of those actions, and retain documented information of competence as evidence.
Competence in this clause has a specific OH&S meaning. It includes the ability to identify hazards relevant to the worker's role. It is not generic professional competence - it is the specific knowledge and skill needed to work safely. A forklift operator needs forklift competence. A worker in a noisy environment needs hearing conservation awareness. A first aider needs first-aid competence.
How Competence Is Recorded
The standard requires documented information of competence but does not prescribe a format. The most common approach is a training matrix - a table listing each role or worker against the competence requirements, showing what training has been completed and when refresher training is due. Individual qualifications, certificates and training records are held alongside the matrix as the underlying evidence.
For activities with formal certification requirements - such as forklift trucks, abrasive wheels, lifting operations or electrical work - the certificate dates and expiry are tracked in the matrix. For competence acquired through experience or in-house training, the record is typically a training record signed by the trainer and the worker.
For documented evidence of competence, a staff training matrix is the cleanest approach. Each worker is listed against the relevant safety training and qualifications. Where formal certificates are held, they sit behind the matrix as supporting evidence. Where competence comes from experience or internal training, a brief record of what was covered and when is enough.
Competence is required to be documented, but only to the extent necessary. A small office-based business with limited safety risks does not need an industrial-grade training matrix. A construction company will need much more. Match the depth to the risk profile.
Where the activity has a known H&S training requirement, the certificate has to be at hand. Forklift training, IPAF, PASMA, first aid, fire warden - these come up at audit time and need to be retrievable. I keep them in a single shared folder cross-referenced with the matrix.
I sample competence records during audits. I expect to see the training matrix, then a sample of the underlying certificates or training records. If a worker is doing an activity with a clear competence requirement and there is no record, I will raise a finding. Refresher dates are checked too - expired certificates are a common issue.
Practical Compliance Guidance
The IMS1 Manual sets out how competence is recorded for the OH&S management system. A training matrix is the standard tool.
The following alphaZ documents support compliance with ISO 45001:2018 Clause 7.2.
| alphaZ document | How to use it |
|---|---|
| ISO 45001 Toolkit | The full set of documents for ISO 45001 compliance, including training matrix and competence records. |
Note - all the above files can be downloaded with an alphaZ subscription.
Frequently Asked Questions
UK Legislation
The following UK legislation establishes specific competence-related duties for organisations operating in the UK. Organisations outside the UK should identify equivalent legislation in their jurisdiction.
