Competent Person Designation Letter Generator

A designation, not a certification

There is no such thing as an “OSHA-certified competent person.” The construction definition, 29 CFR 1926.32(f), has two prongs: capability — “capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards” — and authority — “authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.” A training certificate can evidence the first prong. Only the employer can grant the second — and that grant, in writing, is the designation this letter records. The full argument, with what an inspector actually asks to see, is in Does OSHA certify competent persons?

Where a construction standard names a competent person

29 CFR 1926.32(f) is a definition, not a standalone requirement — the duty to have a competent person doing a specific job comes from the activity standards. The letter fills the regulatory basis automatically from the activity you pick:

Activity	Duty of the competent person	Basis printed on the letter
Excavations & trenching	Inspect the excavation, adjacent areas, and protective systems daily and as conditions change; classify the soil; remove workers if hazardous	29 CFR 1926.651(k)(1); 1926.652(a)(1)(ii); 1926 Subpart P App. A(c) — and 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)
Scaffolds	Inspect for visible defects before each work shift and after any event affecting integrity; supervise erection, moving, and dismantling; train erectors and dismantlers	29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3); 1926.454(b) — and 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)
Respirable crystalline silica	Make frequent and regular inspections of the job site to implement the written exposure control plan	29 CFR 1926.1153(g)(4) — and 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)
Fall protection plan	Identify fall hazards and supervise the fall-protection plan where one is used; fall-protection training is provided by a competent person	29 CFR 1926.502(k)(4); 1926.503(a)(2) — and 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)
Confined spaces (construction)	Identify all confined spaces, including permit-required spaces, before work begins	29 CFR 1926.1203(a) — and 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)
Cranes (Subpart CC)	Inspect the crane each shift for deficiencies before or during first use	29 CFR 1926.1412(d) — and 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)
Ladders	Inspect ladders periodically and after any incident that could affect safe use	29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(15) — and 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)
Rigging & slings	Inspect each sling and all its fastenings and attachments for damage or defects each day before use, and again during use where service conditions warrant; remove damaged slings from service immediately	29 CFR 1926.251(a)(6) — and 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)

Every designation also rests on 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2) — the accident-prevention program’s requirement of frequent and regular inspections by competent persons. The standard-by-standard breakdown lives on our competent person designations page.

The four documents, in one letter

The signed designation. Name, activity, jobsite scope, effective date, employer signature — the act of designation itself.
The written basis of competency. The generator refuses a basis under 40 characters — the same floor the HazComFast product enforces — because “took a course” is not a basis.
The scope of authority, in writing. The letter prints the authority sentence in full (1926.32(f) requires the authorization; the stop-work wording is the letter’s own); if it is not written down, expect the inspector to test it in interviews.
The designee’s acknowledgment. A dated signature block for the person designated — a designation the designee doesn’t know about protects no one.

Frequently asked questions

Does OSHA require a written competent person designation letter?

No standard prescribes a letter by name — but the duties are real and inspectors test them. 29 CFR 1926.32(f) defines a competent person by capability AND employer-granted authority, and activity standards (daily excavation inspections under 1926.651(k)(1), scaffold inspections under 1926.451(f)(3), the silica competent person under 1926.1153(g)(4)) require one to be doing specific jobs. A signed letter is how you prove, on demand, who was designated, for what, on what basis, and with what authority.

Is there an OSHA competent person certification I can get instead?

No. OSHA neither certifies competent persons nor keeps a register of them. Courses selling a 'competent person certification' prove attendance — evidence for the capability prong — but only the employer can grant the authority prong of 1926.32(f). That grant is the designation, and it is what this letter records.

What must the designation letter contain?

Four things an inspector or attorney will ask for: (1) the person's name with the activity and jobsite scope; (2) a written basis of competency — the training, experience, and knowledge relevant to that activity, not a checkbox; (3) the authority statement — 1926.32(f) requires “authorization to take prompt corrective measures”, and the letter spells it out as authority to stop work and remove employees from the hazard area without prior approval; (4) the employer's signature and the designee's acknowledgment. This generator prints all four, plus the CFR basis for the chosen activity.

Does a competent person designation expire?

No standard sets an expiration. An open-ended designation is valid — but re-designate when conditions change: a new site, a new activity, a lapse in the person's involvement, or an incident that calls their judgment into question. The letter accepts an optional expiration/review date so the designation gets re-examined instead of silently going stale.

Can one person be the competent person for several activities?

Yes, if they genuinely meet the 1926.32(f) definition for each one — capability is activity-specific. A foreman competent for excavations is not automatically competent for scaffolds. Issue one designation per activity so each records its own basis of competency and its own CFR duty; this also keeps each designation testable on its own in an inspection.

Does this letter make my jobsite compliant?

No. It documents the designation — the act the standards presuppose. Compliance depends on the person actually doing the duty the standard names (the daily excavation inspections, the scaffold checks, the silica plan inspections) and on the employer honoring the stop-work authority in practice. Use it as the record inspectors ask for, not a substitute for the work.

Sources & verification

Citations verified against the eCFR and osha.gov, last verified 2026-08-22. This generator is a documentation aid — it is not legal advice and does not by itself make any person competent or any jobsite compliant.

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Competent Person Designation Letter

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