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Term/Concept |
Definition/Descrpition |
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Occupational Safety |
Occupational safety is comprised of two key terms:
- Occupational: Referring to the workplace.
- Safety: The control and elimination of recognized hazards to attain
an acceptable level of risk.
Effective occupational safety efforts involve the control and elimination of recognized
workplace hazards to attain an acceptable level of risk and promote the wellness
of workers. Optimal occupational safety results from a continuous proactive process
of anticipating, identifying, designing, implementing, and evaluating risk-reduction
practices.
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Safety Management System |
A safety management system is an organized and structured means of ensuring that
an organization (or a defined part of it) is capable of achieving and maintaining
high standards of safety performance. The management system should be based on the
principles of continuous improvement.
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Incident |
Any unplanned event that results in personal injury or damage to property, equipment,
or environment OR an event that has the potential to result in
such consequences. Within this context, incident includes all occurrences, regardless
of degree, with the purpose of focusing safety control strategies on the elements
of causation.
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Incidence Rate |
Incidence rate, as defined by OSHA, is the number of occupational injuries and/or
illnesses or lost workdays per 100 full-time employees. The formula for calculating
incidence rates is: # of injuries & illnesses X 200,000 divided by total hours
worked by all employees during the period covered.
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Injury |
Physical harm or damage to the body such as a cut, fracture, sprain, amputation,
etc. in the work setting. An injury results from an exchange, usually acute, of
mechanical, chemical, thermal, or other environmental energy that exceeds the body's
tolerance.
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Occupational Illness |
Any abnormal condition or disorder other than one resulting from an occupational
injury caused by exposure to environmental factors related to employment. It includes
acute and chronic illnesses or diseases that may be caused by inhalation, absorption,
ingestion, or direct contact.
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Hazard |
Any existing or potential workplace condition that, by itself or by interacting
with other variables, can result in death, injury, property damage, or other loss.
Hazards:
- Include substandard conditions, practices, and/or procedures.
- Are defined as the potential for harm or damage to people, property, or the environment.
- Include the characteristics of objects and the actions or lack of actions by people.
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Risk |
A measure of the probability and severity of adverse effects.
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Acceptable Level of Risk |
Organizations/employees may state a goal of "zero injuries." However, that goal
is different from "zero risk." A zero-risk environment does not exist because simply
sitting in a chair can involve risk. The goal is to reduce risk to an "acceptable"
level. Risks are acceptable if judged to be tolerable. For any operation to succeed,
risks must be acceptable.
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Risk Assessment |
The ranking of risks by three criteria: exposure, severity, and probability. In
addition, it is an effective means of prioritizing actions.
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Prevent(ion) |
A proactive process to keep something from occurring.
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Control |
A process intended to control or eliminate future hazards by taking preventive action
or control or eliminate current hazards by taking corrective action. Methods of
controls include engineering, administrative, and personal protective equipment.
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Control Methods |
Engineering controls engineer the hazard out by initial design
specifications or by applying substitution methods, isolation, enclosure, or ventilation.
In the hierarchy of control methods, engineering control methods should be considered
first.
Administrative controls reduce employee exposures through methods
such as education and training, work reduction, job rotation, maintenance/repairs,
housekeeping, personal hygiene, and appropriate work practices. Administrative controls
depend on constant employee implementation or intervention.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a device worn by employees
to protect them from the environment. PPE includes anything from gloves to full
body suits with self-contained breathing apparatus and can be used with engineering
and administrative controls.
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