Demystifying Health & Safety: A Comprehensive Glossary of Terms
Welcome to FRISK Integrated HSE Solutions, where we’re committed to simplifying the complexities of Health & Safety (H&S) for individuals and organizations alike. Understanding H&S terminology is crucial for creating safer and healthier work environments. However, we understand that the vast array of terms can sometimes be overwhelming.
That’s why we’ve compiled an extensive glossary of essential H&S terms and their definitions, designed to empower you with the knowledge needed to navigate workplace wellness confidently.
Health & Safety Glossary
In our comprehensive glossary, you’ll find definitions for key H&S terms such as:
– ACD: Asbestos-contaminated dust or debris
– ACM: Asbestos containing material
– Absenteeism: Regularly not attending work or willful absence, excluding involuntary or occasional absence due to reasonable causes like sickness or accidents.
– Accident: An unplanned incident resulting in ill-health, injury, death, or damage.
– ACOP: Approved Code of Practice providing guidance to comply with H&S regulations, approved by the Health and Safety Executive.
– Administrative control: A method of work, a process, or a procedure designed to minimize risk, excluding engineering controls or personal protective equipment.
– Airborne contaminant: Contaminant in the form of a fume, mist, gas, vapor, or dust, including micro-organisms.
– Allergen: Substance causing allergic reactions such as rash, anaphylactic shock, or swelling.
– Appointed Person: Designated responsible individual to supervise accidents, injuries, or illnesses, with first aid training.
– Asbestos & Asbestosis: Fibrous mineral causing lung damage and diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
– Carcinogen: Substance or mixture causing or suspected of causing cancer.
– Code of Practice: Practical guides ensuring health, safety, and welfare standards under WHS Act and Regulations.
– Competent Person: Trained, experienced, and qualified individual undertaking H&S duties without posing risks.
– Confined Space: Enclosed area potentially hazardous due to substances or conditions.
– Contractor: Worker under contract, including subcontractors.
– Control measure: Action taken to eliminate or minimize health and safety risks.
– CoSHH: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.
– CPD: Continuing Professional Development activities for skill enhancement.
– Danger: Signal word indicating the severity of a hazard.
– Designer: Individual designing products, including plant, substances, and structures.
– Display Screen Equipment (DSE): Requiring training for regular users.
– Duty Holder: Person owing a work health and safety duty under the WHS Act.
– Emergency Plan: Specific instructions for evacuation during emergencies.
– Fires: Incidents resulting from heat, oxygen, and fuel source interaction.
– Flammability: Susceptibility to catching fire easily.
– Glare: Bright light reflection impeding sight and causing headaches.
– GHS: Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.
– Hazard: Situation or thing with the potential to harm.
– Hazardous Chemicals: Solids, liquids, or gases harmful to health.
– Health and Safety Executive (HSE): Enforcing H&S legislation in the UK.
– Health and Safety Representative (HSR): Elected worker representing on health and safety issues.
– High-risk work license: Required for specific work types such as operating cranes and forklifts.
– Hierarchy of Control: Ranking ways to control risks from the highest to lowest level of protection.
– HSC: Health and Safety Committee ensuring workers’ health and safety.
– Illness: Disease or period of sickness affecting body or mind.
– Importer: Individual bringing goods or services into the country for sale.
– Incident (Near Miss): Events with no significant harm potential but could lead to accidents.
– Inspector: Person appointed to monitor and enforce compliance with WHS laws.
– IIRSM: International Institute of Risk and Safety Management.
– IOSH: Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.
– Irritant: Substance causing irritation or inflammation upon contact.
– Legislation: Enacted law describing legal requirements and punishments.
– LOLER: Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations.
– Manual Handling: Tasks requiring force exertion for load movement.
– MHF: Major hazard facility exceeding chemical quantity levels listed in WHS Regulation.
– Mental Health: State of well-being coping with life stresses and contributing to community.
– Method Statement: Statement detailing safe working practices.
– MSD: Musculoskeletal disorder.
– Musculoskeletal: Relating to muscles and skeleton.
– Near Miss: Occurrence narrowly avoiding injury, illness, or property/environmental damage.
– Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Irreversible damage from loud noise exposure.
– Notifiable: Incident required under model WHS Act to be notified to regulators.
– Officer: Person exercising due diligence for PCBU compliance with health and safety obligations.
– Occupational Health: Health concerning work activities.
– PCBU: Person conducting a business or undertaking, primary duty holder under WHS Act.
– PPE: Personal Protective Equipment for hazard protection.
– Principal Contractor: Needed under CDM when multiple contractors are involved.
– Principal Designer: Needed under CDM when multiple designers are involved.
– Reasonably Practicable: Balancing risk and sacrifice to ensure safety.
– Regulation Impact Statement: Tool assessing the impact of regulation changes.
– Regulations: Process of monitoring and enforcing the law.
– RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Disease & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
– Risk: Probability of harm from exposure to a hazard.
– Risk Assessment: Evaluating risks to health and safety.
– Risk Management: Identifying, assessing, and controlling risks.
– Safety Consultant: Professional certified in WHS compliance.
– SDS: Safety Data Sheet: Document describing properties and hazards of chemicals.
– Self-Assessment: Individual assessment of health and safety duties.
– SMS: Safety Management System: Collection of documents for risk reduction.
– Statute Law: Formal law of the country or state.
– Structure: Constructed object, temporary or permanent.
– Substance: Natural or artificial material in various forms.
– Supply: Provision of goods or services for sale.
– SWMS: Safe Work Method Statement: Document detailing work task safety procedures.
– TRIFRs: Total recordable injury frequency rates.
– Volunteer: Person acting voluntarily regardless of payment.
– Warning: Signal word indicating hazard severity.
– WES: Workplace exposure standards.
– WHS Duties: Obligations ensuring workers’ health and safety.
– WHS Regulator: Oversees WHS laws compliance and enforcement.
– WHSC: Work Health and Safety Committee: Consultative body under WHS Act.
– Work Group: Workers sharing similar work conditions.
– Worker: Person carrying out work for a PCBU.
– Workplace: Place where work is carried out for a business or undertaking.
– Workplace Bullying: Repeated and unreasonable behavior posing health and safety risks.
– Workplace Exposure Standards: Legal concentration limits for chemical exposure.
With our glossary, you’ll gain clarity on complex topics such as hazard identification, risk assessment, and safety regulations. Whether you’re a seasoned H&S professional or new to the field, our glossary serves as a valuable resource for enhancing workplace wellness.
Should you require further assistance or clarification on any H&S matter, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at FRISK Integrated HSE Solutions. Together, let’s decode the intricacies of workplace wellness and foster a culture of safety and health.