Glossary of Health and Safety Terms (Updated)
At Phoenix HSC, we aim to make health and safety as straightforward and comprehensive as possible. Our glossary of commonly-used terms has been devised for health and safety committee members and representatives, or for anyone who is responsible for health and safety in the workplace.
Acid
An undesired, unplanned incident resulting in injury, ill- health, death or damage.
Allergen
A substance that causes an allergic reaction in the body.
Acute exposure
Immediate exposure to a hazardous substance over a short time period.
Appointed Person
A designated person who has been nominated to take a supervisory role in the event of an accident, injury or illness. The appointed person will have completed basic first aid training and have the skills and knowledge to deal with a first aid situation.
Asbestos
The name used for a group of fibrous silicate minerals that once inhaled, have adverse effects on health and can lead to fatal lung diseases. View our Asbestos courses
Asbestosis
The damage of lung tissue caused by asbestos, resulting in a shortness of breath.
Audit
An official inspection of the health and safety management arrangements of a premises, carried out by qualified auditors. The aim of an audit is to confirm that adequate control measures have been put in place to cover the risks and to ensure that these measures are being adhered to.
Best Practice
A way of delivering risk control practices which have been recognised by an authoritative body as cooperating with the law.
Chronic Exposure
Multiple exposures to a hazardous substance over a long period of time.
CIEH
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
Code of Practice
A set of rules fixed by regulatory bodies or trade associations which, although not law themselves, are intended to provide guidance on how to comply with the law.
Common Law
Unwritten law which has been devised through judicial precedent rather than statutes. A breach of common law can however, result in a criminal offence.
Competent Person
A person who has been adequately trained and has the appropriate skills and knowledge to perform certain health and safety tasks without posing a risk to themselves or others.
Confined Space
An enclosed area that has the potential to cause serious harm from hazardous substances or conditions within the space.
Contaminant
A substance, usually a pollutant, which has been discovered in an area where it does not usually belong.
Control Measures
Actions that have been put in place to regulate and reduce the risks associated with the work being carried out.
Corrosive
A substance that has destructive effects on another substance.
COSHH
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. View our COSHH courses
Display Screen Equipment
A device that has an alphanumeric or graphic display screen, such as a computer monitor. View our Display Screen Equipment courses
Emergency Plan
A plan detailing the exact actions to be taken in the event of an emergency with the aim of evacuating all persons from dangerous environments or conditions.
Ergonomic Hazards
Working methods that have the potential to damage the musculoskeletal system, including forceful movements, vibration, extreme temperatures, improper lifting techniques and inappropriate workstations.
Explosive Proof Protection
Preventative techniques applied to the manufacturing process of equipment for use in high-risk, explosive work environments.
Fires
Class A: fires with flammable solids such as wood, plastic and paper.
Class B: fires involving flammable liquids and electrical fires.
Class C: fires involving gases.
Class D: fires involving metals such as magnesium, potassium and titanium.
Class F: fires with cooking oils and fats. View our Fire Safety courses
Flammability
The ease in which a substance will catch fire.
Flammable Gas
A gas with a low flammability limit that can be readily ignited when mixed with air.
Flammable Liquid
A liquid which can readily catch fire.
Flammable Solid
Solids that are liable to cause fires through friction or absorption of moisture.
Flash Point
The minimum temperature in which the vapour of a substance, when mixed with oxygen, will ignite when a flame is applied.
Fume cupboard
A method of ventilation, typically in the form of a cabinet with a moveable safety-glass front window. The air is drawn away from the worker or workspace to prevent contact with harmful vapours or gases given off by hazardous substances.
Glare
Bright lights that reflect off a display screen and impede a person’s sight, often causing excessive eyestrain and headaches.
Guarding
A device that prohibits access to a hazardous part of a machine or equipment.
Hazard
A situation or behaviour that has the potential to cause harm, injury, ill-health or damage to property and the environment.
Health and Safety Executive
An authoritative organisation that enforces health and safety legislation in the UK, including statute, approved codes of practice, regulations and guidance on work-related health issues.
Health and Safety Representatives
A person that has been appointed by trade unions to represent their colleagues in regards to various issues of health and safety in the workplace.
Health Surveillance
A process of observation that involves monitoring any early symptoms of work related ill-health in employees who may be exposed to certain health risks, such as hazardous chemicals.
Heat Exhaustion
A condition caused by excessive exposure to hot temperatures, usually caused by profuse sweating in warm, poorly ventilated working environments.
Hypersensitive
An extreme physical response to particular substances or environments.
IIRSM
The International Institute of Risk and Safety Management.
Improvement Notice
A formal notice that is given by an authoritative health and safety body following a breach of law. The notice will state the committed offence, what action needs to be taken for improvement and the specified date by which it must be taken.
Incident Investigation
The process of gathering information regarding the causes of an incident, with the purpose of formulating control measures to prevent the incident from reoccurring. View our Incident Investigation courses
Incident/Near Miss
A term for those events that have not resulted in significant harm but have the potential to cause an accident, injury or damage under different circumstances.
IOSH
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. View our IOSH courses
Irritant
A non-corrosive substance which can cause inflammation on the body through contact.
Manual Handling Operations
Tasks that require a person to exert bodily force to transport a load by lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying an object.
Material Data Safety Sheet
A document that details information on potentially hazardous substances, along with guidance on how to handle them safely.
Method Statement
A document that details how a particular working process will be conducted in a safe manner, typically used for construction or installation procedures.
NEBOSH
The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health. View our NEBOSH courses
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
An incurable condition caused by both acute and chronic exposure to a loud noise.
NVQ
National Vocational Qualification. View our NVQ courses
Occupation Health
The relationship between a person’s health and the working activities that they undertake.
Occupational Illness
An illness that occurs in employees who have been exposed to hazards whilst at work.
Permit to Work
Formal, written specifications for controlling risks when carrying out hazardous work, usually for non-routine activities that require special precautions to control the hazards.
Policy
A legally required statement of a company strategy, consisting of their objectives to attain a safe working environment, their responsibilities, and the arrangements for implementing the strategy and achieving their aims.
Preventive Maintenance
The regular maintenance of work equipment to reduce the risk of failure.
Prohibition Notice
A formal notice that is issued by an authorising health and safety body on discovery of a breach of statute that has the potential to cause an accident or injury. A Prohibition Notice commonly follows a serious accident, with the aim of preventing the hazard from developing or to put a stop to it if it is already in motion.
Reasonably Practicable
When the degree of risk can be weighed up against the cost, in terms of time, money and difficulty of implementing control measures. If the cost outweighs the risk, than it is deemed inappropriate for an employer to implement the measures to prevent the risks.
Risk Assessment
An examination of the potential risks in the workplace, with the aim of assessing whether enough precautions have been put in place to prevent harm. A risk assessment focuses on the relationship between the worker, the work being carried out, the equipment being used and the conditions of the working environment. View our Risk Assessment consultancy services
Risk Management
The process of putting control measures into practice and monitoring the results, with the intention of reducing, or eliminating, the potential risks to health and safety.
Routes of Entry
Ways in which hazardous substances can enter the body, including inhalation, injection, ingestion and absorption.
Self-Assessment
An assessment carried out by the individual to determine how safely they are working and fulfilling their health and safety duties.
SMSTS
Site Management Safety Training Scheme. View our SMSTS courses
SSSTS
Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme. View our SSSTS courses
Statute law
The formal, written law of a country or state.
Toxic
Substances, usually poisonous, that cause irritation and have detrimental effects on health.
Workstation
The conglomeration of equipment that an employee requires to fulfil their working practices. In regards to Display Screen Equipment, the workstation is likely to include a desk, a chair, a computer monitor and a keyboard.
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