Workplace Safety Glossary
A comprehensive guide to workplace safety terminology, regulations, and concepts used in occupational health and safety management.
A
- Accident
- An unplanned event that results in injury, illness, death, or property damage. Unlike incidents, accidents typically involve actual harm or loss.
- Active Monitoring
- Proactive safety checks and inspections conducted before accidents occur, including safety audits, workplace inspections, and compliance verification.
- As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP)
- A principle requiring that risks be reduced to a level where further reduction would be grossly disproportionate to the benefit gained. Common in Australian and UK safety regulations.
B
- Bowtie Analysis
- A risk assessment method that visualises the pathways from hazards to consequences, showing preventive and mitigating controls. Named for its distinctive shape when diagrammed.
- Buddy System
- A safety procedure pairing workers together to monitor each other's safety, particularly in hazardous environments or when working in remote locations.
C
- Check-in
- A scheduled communication from a worker to confirm their safety status, commonly used in lone worker and journey management systems.
- Competent Person
- An individual with the necessary training, knowledge, and experience to perform specific safety-related tasks, as defined by workplace safety legislation.
- Confined Space
- An enclosed or partially enclosed space not designed for continuous human occupancy, with limited entry/exit points, that may contain hazardous atmospheres or other dangers.
- Control Measure
- Any action, device, or procedure that eliminates or minimises a hazard. Part of the hierarchy of controls in risk management.
- Critical Control
- A control measure that is crucial in preventing a high-consequence event or mitigating its outcome. Failure of a critical control significantly increases risk.
D
- Duress Alarm
- A personal safety device or app feature allowing workers to send an emergency alert when in danger. May be activated manually or triggered automatically.
- Duty of Care
- The legal obligation of employers to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and others affected by their business operations.
- Dynamic Risk Assessment
- An ongoing, real-time evaluation of risks as work conditions change throughout the day. Essential for fieldwork, remote operations, and unpredictable environments.
E
- Emergency Response Plan
- A documented procedure outlining actions to be taken during emergencies such as fires, natural disasters, medical emergencies, or security threats.
- Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)
- A discipline focused on implementing practical aspects of environmental protection and workplace safety. Also known as HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment).
- Escalation Protocol
- A predefined series of actions triggered when a worker fails to check in or an alert is raised, typically involving increasing levels of response.
- Exposure
- Contact with a hazardous substance, condition, or situation that may result in adverse health effects or injury.
F
- Fatigue Management
- Systems and procedures designed to identify and mitigate risks associated with worker fatigue, including work hour limits, rest requirements, and fatigue monitoring.
- Fit for Work
- Assessment that a worker is physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of performing their duties safely without posing a risk to themselves or others.
- Field Service Management
- The coordination of field operations including scheduling, dispatching, and tracking workers who perform services at customer or remote locations.
H
- Hazard
- Any source of potential damage, harm, or adverse health effects. Hazards can be physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, or psychosocial.
- Hazard Identification
- The systematic process of recognising and documenting potential hazards in the workplace before they cause harm.
- Health and Safety Representative (HSR)
- An elected worker who represents colleagues on health and safety matters and has specific powers under workplace safety legislation.
- Hierarchy of Controls
- A system for prioritising risk control measures: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
- High-Risk Work
- Work activities that pose significant risks and often require specific licenses, training, or permits. Examples include working at heights, confined spaces, and operating heavy machinery.
I
- Incident
- An unplanned event that has the potential to cause injury, illness, or damage, regardless of whether harm actually occurred. Includes near misses.
- Incident Investigation
- A systematic examination of an incident to identify root causes and contributing factors, with the goal of preventing recurrence.
- Isolation
- The process of separating a hazard from workers, including lockout/tagout procedures for equipment and energy sources.
J
- Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)
- A technique for identifying hazards associated with specific job tasks and determining the best way to perform the job safely. Also called Job Safety Analysis (JSA).
- Journey Management
- A systematic approach to planning, monitoring, and managing work-related travel to minimise risks associated with vehicle travel and remote work.
- Journey Management Plan (JMP)
- A documented plan covering route assessment, vehicle requirements, communication protocols, and emergency procedures for work-related travel.
L
- Lag Indicator
- A reactive safety metric that measures past performance, such as injury rates, lost time incidents, or workers' compensation claims.
- Lead Indicator
- A proactive safety metric that predicts future safety performance, such as training completion rates, hazard reports submitted, or safety observations conducted.
- Lone Worker
- An employee who works by themselves without close or direct supervision, including remote workers, field service technicians, and after-hours staff.
- Lone Worker Policy
- A documented set of procedures and requirements for managing the safety of employees who work alone or in isolation.
- Lost Time Injury (LTI)
- A workplace injury that results in a worker being unable to perform their normal duties for at least one full day or shift following the injury.
- Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR)
- A standardised measure of workplace safety calculated as the number of lost time injuries per million hours worked.
M
- Man Down Alert
- An automated alarm triggered when a lone worker device detects that the wearer has fallen or remained motionless for a specified period.
- Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
- See Safety Data Sheet (SDS). MSDS is the older term still used in some regions.
- Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD)
- Injuries or disorders affecting muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs, often caused by repetitive tasks, awkward postures, or manual handling.
N
- Near Miss
- An unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage but had the potential to do so. Near miss reporting is crucial for proactive safety management.
- Notifiable Incident
- A serious workplace incident that must be reported to the relevant safety regulator, including deaths, serious injuries, and dangerous incidents.
O
- Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
- The field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at work. Also referred to as Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) in Australia.
- Out of Coverage
- A situation where a worker is in an area without mobile network or satellite connectivity, requiring alternative safety monitoring solutions.
P
- Permit to Work
- A formal written system for controlling high-risk activities, specifying the work to be done, hazards involved, and precautions required.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Equipment worn to minimise exposure to hazards, including hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility clothing, gloves, and respiratory protection.
- Pre-Start Check
- An inspection conducted before using equipment or beginning work to identify defects, hazards, or unsafe conditions.
- Psychosocial Hazard
- Aspects of work design, organisation, and management that may cause psychological or physical harm, including stress, bullying, and excessive workload.
R
- Reasonably Practicable
- A standard requiring duty holders to weigh the likelihood and severity of harm against the cost, time, and effort of implementing controls.
- Remote Worker
- An employee who works away from a traditional office or worksite, including those working from home, in the field, or at client locations.
- Residual Risk
- The level of risk remaining after control measures have been implemented. Must be monitored and managed to ensure it remains acceptable.
- Risk
- The combination of the likelihood of a hazardous event occurring and the severity of its consequences.
- Risk Assessment
- A systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating risks, and determining appropriate control measures.
- Risk Matrix
- A tool used to assess risk levels by plotting likelihood against consequence, helping prioritise risk treatment actions.
- Risk Register
- A documented list of identified risks, their assessment, and the controls in place, serving as a central record for risk management.
- Root Cause Analysis
- An investigation method that looks beyond immediate causes to identify the underlying systemic issues that led to an incident.
S
- Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)
- A document that describes how high-risk construction work will be carried out safely, identifying hazards and their controls.
- Safety Culture
- The shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours that characterise how safety is prioritised and managed within an organisation.
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
- A document providing detailed information about hazardous chemicals, including properties, health effects, handling requirements, and emergency procedures.
- Safety Management System (SMS)
- A systematic approach to managing safety, including organisational structures, policies, procedures, and practices.
- Safety Observation
- A structured method for observing workplace behaviours and conditions to identify both safe practices and potential hazards.
- Serious Injury or Illness
- A workplace injury or illness requiring immediate treatment as an in-patient, or treatment for serious conditions such as amputation, head injury, or electric shock.
- SIF Potential (Serious Injury or Fatality)
- An assessment of whether an incident or near miss had the potential to result in a fatality or life-altering injury.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A documented set of step-by-step instructions for performing routine operations safely and consistently.
- Supervisor
- A person who directs, instructs, and monitors workers in the performance of their duties, with responsibilities for workplace safety.
T
- Take 5
- A brief risk assessment conducted immediately before starting a task, typically taking about five minutes to identify hazards and controls.
- Toolbox Talk
- A short, informal safety meeting held at the worksite to discuss specific hazards, safe work practices, or recent incidents.
- Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR)
- A safety metric measuring all recordable injuries (fatalities, lost time injuries, and medical treatment injuries) per million hours worked.
W
- Welfare Facilities
- Facilities provided to support worker wellbeing, including toilets, drinking water, first aid, meal areas, and change rooms.
- Work Health and Safety (WHS)
- The Australian term for occupational health and safety, governed by model WHS laws harmonised across most states and territories.
- Workers' Compensation
- Insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment.
- Working Alone
- A situation where a worker cannot be seen or heard by another person and cannot expect a visit from another worker for some time.
- Workplace Inspection
- A systematic examination of the workplace to identify hazards, assess the effectiveness of controls, and ensure compliance with safety requirements.