Safety Update

Safety Update: How Do You Measure Competence?

The word 'competent' and term 'competency assessment' are being used more frequently, and sometimes loosely, within the context of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). The word 'competent' appears 102 times in the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code, 2009. Understanding the correct meaning of 'competent' and 'competency assessment' is vital in managing your organization's OHS risk.

The appointment of a 'competent worker' is more than just ensuring a workers' health and safety, it is recognized as an important element in demonstrating organizational due diligence. If, in the case of an OHS incident, it cannot be proven that a worker was competent or that everything "reasonably practicable" was done to ensure a worker's competence, the organization may be charged and held liable under applicable OHS Law, including potential criminal prosecution.

So what does 'competent' mean? There are many definitions of which the simplest is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "having the necessary skill or knowledge to do something successfully". Alberta's OHS Code, 2009, defines a 'competent worker' as a worker who is adequately qualified, suitably trained and with sufficient experience [knowledge, skills and attributes] to safely perform [to do] work without supervision or with only a minimal degree of supervision." [Author's insertions].

Both definitions include two distinct components: Firstly, a competent worker must have the appropriate knowledge, skills and attributes; and secondly, the worker must be able to do or perform his/her duties successfully.

Based on these definitions, evaluating a worker's competency must include an assessment of knowledge, skills and attributes, as well as a successful demonstration on the job. Competency can be gained through a variety of methods such as formal education or on-the-job training and experience. As a result, it is important to consider all possible learning paths in the assessment process so that otherwise 'competent' individuals are not overlooked and conversely incompetent individuals are not assessed favourably.

To objectively assess whether an individual is competent at their job observe them in their working environment and allow them to demonstrate their competence against a predefined competency framework consisting of a set of measurable competencies.

To develop a complete and effective competency framework it needs to be linked to the goals of the organization. By having a defined set of competencies for each role in your organization, it shows workers the kind of behaviours the organization values, and which it requires to help achieve its objectives. Within the OHS context not only does it ensure they perform their work in a healthy and safe manner, but they will also be more confident, effective and efficient in performing their work and achieving their objectives.

The competency framework is not only for meeting regulatory requirements and proving due diligence, but can also be used as a personal development tool by measuring current competency levels and identifying the areas individuals need to focus on. It can help in making informed decisions about recruitment, retention, and succession strategies. And, by identifying the specific behaviours and skills needed for each role, it enables organizations to more effectively budget and plan for the training and development really needed.

The process of creating a competency framework is no menial task and can be long and complex. To ensure a successful outcome, involve people carrying out the roles to evaluate real jobs, and describe real behaviours. The increased level of understanding and linkage between individual roles and organizational performance makes the effort well worth it.

This brings us back to how competencies should be assessed. The key to competency assessment is that it needs to be based on actual skills and knowledge that a person can demonstrate in the workplace or other contexts to an observer. This is different to other approaches where there is no requirement to demonstrate knowledge and skills - like approaches where individuals answer questions as a test of their knowledge and skills. The problem with this form of testing is that it does not guarantee that a person will be able to perform a task - it just verifies that they possess the knowledge.

Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the use of direct observation at work by trained workplace assessors. A workplace assessor is defined as someone with considerable experience in the area being assessed; and he or she reviews the evidence and verifies that the person performing the skill is competent. If development needs are identified the person uses a variety of sources, both on and off the job to develop the areas identified as lacking or needing improvement. After a period, the person is reassessed and if they can now demonstrate the skills, they are awarded competence.

The objectivity lies in the ability to demonstrate first hand to the observer that they are competent, and it allows for immediate feedback, drives positive behavioural change and identifies immediate or critical competency gaps or areas for improvement. Competencies also need to be reassessed and assessed more frequently when (1) the individual is new and inexperienced at the job, (2) competencies are added to duties, (3) competencies change, or (4) the competency is related to high risk duties/tasks.

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