Definitions of the safety, compliance and fleet terms your team uses every day, from CAPA and DART rate to TRIR and toolbox talks.
A systematic, documented review of whether a site, process or safety program meets its requirements, used to find gaps before they cause harm.
An injury prevention approach that observes work, gives feedback on safe and at-risk behaviors, and uses the data to fix root causes.
Disease-causing microorganisms in human blood, such as HBV, HCV and HIV. OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.1030 protects workers with exposure.
Under OSHA, someone who can identify existing and predictable hazards and has authority to take prompt corrective measures to fix them.
A space large enough to enter and work in, with limited entry or exit, that is not designed for continuous worker occupancy.
A structured process that fixes the root cause of problems that have occurred (corrective) and of problems that could occur (preventive).
An OSHA injury rate showing cases with days away, restricted duty or job transfer per 100 full-time workers per year.
The set of records FMCSA requires a motor carrier to keep for each CMV driver to prove the driver is qualified to drive.
A driver's end-of-day report listing CMV defects that could affect safety, which the carrier must repair and certify.
A written plan that tells employees how to report emergencies, evacuate, and account for everyone, as required by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38.
The discipline and programs organizations use to protect workers, the public and the environment while meeting regulations.
A multiplier that adjusts workers' compensation premiums based on an employer's claims history. 1.0 is average, and lower is better.
Systems and practices, such as guardrails, safety nets and personal fall arrest systems, that prevent falls from height or stop them safely.
Immediate care for an injury or illness. Under OSHA recordkeeping, it is a fixed list of 14 treatments, and first aid cases are not recordable.
A UN system for classifying chemical hazards and communicating them with standard labels, pictograms and 16-section Safety Data Sheets.
OSHA's standard requiring employers to inform workers about chemical hazards through labels, safety data sheets, training and a written program.
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response: OSHA's standard (29 CFR 1910.120) for hazardous waste site work and chemical spill response.
A ranked system of hazard control methods, from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative controls and PPE.
Any work involving open flames or that produces heat or sparks, such as welding, cutting, brazing or grinding, that can ignite fires.
An unplanned work-related event that results in, or could have resulted in, injury, illness, property damage or environmental harm.
Industrial hygiene is the science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling workplace hazards that can cause illness or injury.
ISO 45001 is the international standard that sets requirements for an occupational health and safety management system.
A job hazard analysis (JHA) breaks a job into steps, identifies the hazards in each step, and sets controls to prevent injuries.
A safety key performance indicator (KPI) is a measurable value that tracks injury outcomes and how well a safety program is working.
A lagging indicator measures safety outcomes that already happened, such as injuries, illnesses, lost workdays, and claim costs.
A proactive safety metric that measures activities, such as inspections and hazard reports, that prevent injuries before they occur.
A procedure that isolates equipment from energy sources with locks or tags so it cannot start up during servicing or maintenance.
A work-related injury or illness that keeps an employee from working at least one full shift after the day it occurred.
The use of barriers, safety devices and safe distances to keep workers from contacting hazardous moving parts of machinery.
A formal process for reviewing, approving and documenting changes to equipment, processes or procedures so new hazards are controlled.
The US federal research agency, part of the CDC, that studies work-related injuries and illnesses and recommends prevention.
An unplanned event that did not cause injury, illness or damage but could have under slightly different circumstances.
The US Department of Labor agency that sets and enforces workplace safety and health standards under the OSH Act of 1970.
The OSHA form employers use to record each recordable work-related injury and illness at an establishment during the year.
A formal written system that authorizes and controls high-risk, non-routine work such as hot work or confined space entry.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is gear workers wear, such as gloves, eyewear and respirators, to reduce exposure to workplace hazards.
Process safety management (PSM) is OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.119 standard for preventing catastrophic releases of highly hazardous chemicals.
A qualified person has a recognized degree, certificate or extensive experience and has shown the ability to solve problems in a specific subject.
A recordable injury is a work-related injury or illness that meets OSHA's criteria in 29 CFR 1904.7 and must be entered on the OSHA 300 Log.
A process for identifying hazards, rating how likely and severe harm could be, and deciding which controls are needed.
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a structured method for finding the underlying system failures behind an incident so they can be corrected.
A 16-section document from a chemical supplier describing hazards, safe handling, protective measures and emergency steps.
A formal framework of policies, processes and records an organization uses to manage hazards and improve safety.
A policy giving every worker the authority and duty to stop a task they believe is unsafe, without fear of retaliation.
A short, informal safety meeting held at the job site before work to discuss one topic relevant to the day's tasks.
TRIR is the number of OSHA-recordable injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers, based on 200,000 hours worked per year.
An unsafe act is a risky behavior; an unsafe condition is a physical hazard in the workplace. Both are common causes of incidents.
A record motor carriers must keep of every DOT-recordable accident under 49 CFR 390.15, retained for three years after each accident.
A state-regulated, no-fault insurance system that pays medical costs and lost wages for work-related injuries and illnesses.
A safety philosophy holding that all workplace injuries and illnesses are preventable and that no level of harm is acceptable.
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