Which statement defines a competent person in general industry?

• A. A worker on the floor who never stops work to adjust safety.
• B. A person capable of identifying hazards and having authority to take corrective action; e.g., a supervisor who can stop work.
• C. An external auditor with no authority to stop work.
• D. A safety committee member who only reviews incidents.

Answer: (B)

A competent person in general industry is someone who can identify existing and predictable hazards in the workplace and has the authority to take prompt corrective actions to eliminate them, including stopping work if needed. This combination—spotting hazards and having real power to correct them on site—is what makes someone competent in this role. The statement describing a supervisor who can identify hazards and stop work demonstrates both recognizing unsafe conditions and the authority to intervene, which is the best fit for the definition. The other scenarios lack either the authority to intervene immediately or the ability to identify hazards on the job, so they don’t meet this standard.