The competent smell of roses

Competence is an adjective rarely used as a form of praise in the world outside of health and safety.

Helen of Troy’s competence never launched a single ship; the leader of the Macedonians was not Alexander the Competent and a rose by any other name would not smell as competent.

In the wider world, competence is an adjective that describes the middle ground. It describes base mediocrity, a dull compliance with what people expect and the minimum standards for inclusion.

You would be deeply disappointed if you attended a competent performance at the Royal Opera House, followed by a competent meal at the Savoy Grill.

However, in our field, competence is an adjective that puts people in the highest bracket of those we would put our trust, our health and our company’s prosperity in the hands of. Competence in this case is a knowledge and acceptance of responsibility; an innate or learnt ability and a safe pair of hands.

Competence is a mixture of qualities. Skill, knowledge, intelligence and experience all go into the blend, but the blend has to be right for the circumstances. I would happily let Richard Dawkins run my genetics laboratory; I would not let him replace my central heating.

Do I really need a COSHH assessment for water?

Are you struggling to get your head around COSHH? After all, you need a degree in chemistry to get to grips with all these chemicals right?

Even if you are quite comfortable with the Safety side of Health and Safety, the Health bit can be pretty daunting.

If you’re not careful, one of two things can happen; you stick your head in the sand and hope it will go away (after all, you’re far too busy with the safety stuff). Or you go the bonkers conkers route, spend hours assessing things which you don’t need to, and the whole thing loses credibility.

Both options spell disaster.

You need to:

• Get proper training and support from people who know what they’re talking about when it comes to the COSHH regulations.

• Decide whether you are going to do the assessments yourself. If not, find a reputable organisation with the competency to put them together for you.

• Manage COSHH properly, in the same way you manage other risks to your business.

So, do you need a COSHH assessment for water?

What do you think? Join the debate - have a rant.