55 workplace safety terms, acronyms and concepts defined by industry experts.
An arc flash is a sudden, explosive release of energy caused by an electrical fault between conductors or between a conductor and ground, producing extreme heat, blinding light and a pressure wave.
Audiometric testing is a hearing evaluation procedure that measures a worker's ability to hear sounds at various frequencies and volumes, used to establish baselines and detect noise-induced hearing loss.
A competent person is an individual who, through training, education and experience, is qualified to identify existing and predictable hazards and has the authority to take prompt corrective action.
A confined space is an enclosed or partially enclosed area not designed for continuous human occupancy, with limited entry/exit, that may contain hazardous atmospheres, engulfment risks, or other serious hazards.
A Certificate of Recognition (COR) is a voluntary occupational health and safety accreditation awarded to employers in Canada who demonstrate that their health and safety management system meets provincial standards.
A corrective action is a specific measure taken to eliminate the root cause of an identified nonconformity, hazard, or incident to prevent its recurrence.
EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) is an integrated discipline that manages environmental protection, occupational health and workplace safety risks under a unified management framework.
An Emergency Response Plan (ERP) is a documented set of procedures that outlines how an organization will respond to emergencies such as fires, chemical spills, natural disasters, medical emergencies and security threats.
Ergonomics is the science of designing workstations, tools, tasks and processes to fit the physical capabilities and limitations of workers, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries and improving productivity.
Experience rating is a workers' compensation insurance mechanism that adjusts an employer's premiums based on their actual claims history relative to their industry group average.
A fall arrest system is a personal protective equipment assembly designed to safely stop a worker who has fallen from a height, typically consisting of a full-body harness, lanyard or SRL and anchorage point.
A fall restraint system prevents a worker from reaching a fall hazard edge by restricting their movement, using a body belt or harness connected to a fixed anchorage with a lanyard short enough to prevent access to the edge.
A fire extinguisher inspection is a systematic visual check performed monthly and a detailed maintenance review performed annually to confirm that each fire extinguisher is accessible, charged and ready for use.
First aid is the immediate, temporary care provided to an injured or ill person at the workplace before professional medical treatment is available, governed by provincial OHS first aid regulations.
Fit testing is the process of evaluating the seal of a tight-fitting respirator on an individual worker's face to verify it provides adequate protection against airborne hazards.
A Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA) is a brief, on-site hazard evaluation conducted by workers at the start of each shift or task to identify and mitigate immediate risks before work begins.
A hazard is any source, situation, or act with the potential to cause harm in terms of injury, illness, property damage, or environmental impact.
The Hierarchy of Controls is a ranked system of hazard control methods - elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE - listed from most to least effective.
An incident is any unplanned event in the workplace that results in, or has the potential to result in, injury, illness, property damage, or environmental harm.
An incident report is a formal document recording the facts of a workplace event such as an injury, near-miss or property damage for investigation and compliance.
A Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) is a systematic technique that breaks a job into individual steps, identifies hazards at each step and determines preventive measures to reduce risk.
A Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) is a legally mandated workplace committee composed of both worker and employer representatives that identifies and resolves health and safety concerns.
A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is a procedure that integrates health and safety principles into a particular task by breaking the task into steps, identifying hazards and recommending safe work procedures.
Ladder safety refers to the practices and standards designed to prevent falls when using portable, fixed and rolling ladders in the workplace.
A lagging indicator is a reactive safety metric that measures outcomes after they have occurred, such as total recordable incident rate (TRIR), lost-time injury frequency and workers' compensation costs.
A leading indicator is a proactive safety metric that measures activities and conditions that prevent incidents, such as training completion rates, inspection frequency and near-miss reports.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is a safety procedure that ensures hazardous energy sources are properly isolated, locked and tagged before maintenance or servicing work begins on equipment.
Management of Change (MOC) is a systematic process for evaluating and controlling modifications to facilities, processes, equipment, or procedures to ensure changes do not introduce new hazards.
Modified duties (also called light duties or transitional work) are temporary, adjusted work tasks assigned to an injured worker during their recovery to keep them productively employed within their medical restrictions.
An MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) is the predecessor to the modern SDS, used under the original WHMIS 1988 system. It has been replaced by the 16-section SDS format under WHMIS 2015/GHS.
A Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) is an injury or condition affecting muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, joints, or spinal discs, often caused or aggravated by workplace ergonomic risk factors.
A muster point is a predetermined, safe gathering location where workers assemble during an emergency evacuation so that a head count can be taken to ensure everyone has safely exited the work area.
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is the multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health and welfare of people at work, encompassing legislation, standards and programs that protect workers.
An overhead crane is a type of industrial crane that runs along elevated tracks to lift and move heavy loads horizontally across a work area.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) refers to wearable devices and clothing designed to protect workers from workplace hazards when engineering and administrative controls are insufficient.
Process Safety Management (PSM) is a regulatory framework for managing hazards associated with processes that use highly hazardous chemicals, preventing catastrophic releases and explosions.
Return to Work (RTW) is a structured program that facilitates an injured or ill worker's safe, timely and sustainable reintegration into the workplace through modified or transitional duties.
A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying workplace hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm and determining appropriate control measures to reduce risk to acceptable levels.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a structured investigation method that identifies the fundamental underlying causes of an incident or problem, rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms.
A safety audit is a systematic, independent evaluation of an organization's health and safety management system to verify compliance with regulations, standards and internal policies.
Safety culture is the shared values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours within an organization that determine the commitment to and effectiveness of its health and safety management.
A safety stand-down is a planned, temporary stoppage of work where all employees participate in focused safety training, discussions, or awareness activities on a critical safety topic.
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a standardized 16-section document that provides detailed information about a chemical product's hazards, safe handling procedures, emergency measures and regulatory data.
SECOR is a streamlined health and safety certification designed for small employers (typically fewer than 10 workers) that validates their safety program meets provincial standards.
A Safety Management System (SMS) is a structured organizational framework of policies, procedures and practices designed to systematically manage safety risks and ensure continuous improvement.
A Safe Work Procedure (SWP) is a written, step-by-step document that describes how to perform a specific task safely, incorporating identified hazards and required controls.
TDG (Transportation of Dangerous Goods) is the Canadian regulatory framework governing the safe transport of hazardous materials by road, rail, air and marine, administered under the TDG Act.
A toolbox talk (also called a safety talk or tailgate meeting) is a short, focused safety discussion held with a crew before starting work, covering a specific hazard, procedure, or safety topic.
WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) is Canada's national hazard communication standard for classifying, labelling and providing safety data sheets for hazardous products used in the workplace.
Workplace safety is the set of policies, procedures, training and equipment designed to protect employees from hazards and prevent work-related injuries and fatalities.
Workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other disruptive behaviour that occurs at the work site, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assault.
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