Competence
Plain-language summary
Making sure people whose work affects the environment, or your compliance, are genuinely capable — through the right mix of education, training and experience.
What the clause is really asking
Competence is what stops good intentions becoming incidents. The clause requires you to determine the competence needed for people doing work that affects environmental performance and your ability to meet compliance obligations, ensure they are competent, take action to close gaps, and keep records. The intent is that the person handling hazardous waste, operating the effluent plant or responding to a spill actually knows what they are doing.
What auditors look for
Auditors identify environmentally critical roles and ask to see how competence was defined and demonstrated — training records, certificates, experience, assessment. They may question or observe the person directly. They check that legally required competencies, such as for hazardous waste or certain plant, are held by the right people and current.
Typical evidence
Competence requirements per role; training records and certificates; skills or competence matrix; evidence of effectiveness of training; records of action taken to close gaps.
How to comply — recommendations
Define the competencies each environmentally significant role needs, including any legal ones. Keep a matrix showing who is trained and where gaps sit. Provide training, mentoring or hiring to close gaps and keep the evidence. Check that training actually worked — a quick assessment or observation — rather than just filing an attendance sheet, and refresh competencies before certificates lapse.
Common nonconformities
Competence requirements not defined for critical roles; missing or expired training records; legally required competencies not held; no check that training was effective; matrix out of date.
Related clauses
ISO 9001 7.2; ISO 45001 7.2
Qlause provides interpretive guidance only and is not a substitute for the standard. Refer to your licensed copy of the relevant standard for the authoritative text.