Safety
Prevention of harm such as injury, illness, property damage, or loss.
Health
Protection from illness and long-term harmful exposure (physical or psychological).
Hazard
Anything with the potential to cause harm (source of danger).
Risk
The chance that harm will happen, considering likelihood and severity.
Exposure
Contact with a hazard (how often, how long, and how intense).
Consequence
The outcome if a hazard causes harm (injury, damage, loss, etc.).
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
Workplace systems and practices that prevent work-related injury and illness.
Occupational Injury
Sudden harm from an incident at work (e.g., fall, cut, electrocution).
Occupational Illness
Harm that develops over time due to exposure (e.g., dust-related lung disease, hearing loss).
Safety Culture
Shared beliefs and behaviors that prioritize safety in daily work.
Standard / Code
Technical requirements that guide safe design, installation, and operation.
Regulation / Law
Legal requirements enforced by government agencies to control risk.
Compliance
Meeting required standards, laws, and procedures.
Enforcement
Actions taken to ensure compliance (inspections, penalties, orders).
Due Diligence
Doing what a competent professional should do to prevent harm (checks, documentation, follow-through).
Risk Assessment
Process of identifying hazards, judging risk, and deciding controls.
Control Measure
Any action that reduces risk (engineering, administrative, or PPE).
Engineering Control
Physical/design solution that removes or reduces the hazard (guards, interlocks, ventilation).
Administrative Control
Rules and systems that reduce exposure (training, procedures, scheduling, permits).
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
Wearable protection that reduces exposure (helmets, gloves, goggles).
Human Factors
How people actually behave and make errors (fatigue, distraction, shortcuts).
Maintenance
Activities that keep systems safe and functional (inspection, repair, replacement).
Accident / Incident
Unplanned event that causes harm (accident) or could have caused harm (incident/ near miss).
Near Miss
An event that did not cause harm but had the potential to.
