OHCC key terms

A structured set of policies, processes, and responsibilities an organization uses to systematically identify hazards, control risks, and continually improve worker health and safety performance.

A continuous improvement model in which hazards and objectives are planned, controls are implemented, results are checked against targets, and corrective actions feed back into planning.

A scheduled senior-level evaluation of whether the safety management system remains suitable, adequate, and effective, using performance data to set direction and allocate resources.

A measurable value chosen to track progress toward a specific safety objective, distinguishing leading indicators that predict future performance from lagging indicators that record past outcomes.

A retrospective measure of harm already incurred, such as injury frequency or lost-time rates, which describes outcomes but does not by itself reveal how well controls are working.

A proactive measure of preventive activity, such as inspections completed or training hours delivered, used to anticipate risk before an incident occurs.

The legal and ethical obligation of an employer to take reasonable steps to protect workers from foreseeable harm, considering the likelihood and severity of potential injury.

The standard of effort an employer must demonstrate to show it took all reasonable precautions, typically evidenced by documented policies, training, supervision, and corrective action.

A legal test weighing the likelihood and severity of harm against the cost, effort, and feasibility of available controls, requiring action unless the burden is grossly disproportionate to the risk.

A workplace principle in which every party, from senior management to individual workers, shares defined and interacting roles in identifying and resolving health and safety concerns.

A workplace body with worker and employer representatives that meets regularly to identify hazards, review incidents, and recommend corrective action to management.

A worker's right to decline work they reasonably believe poses an imminent danger, triggering a defined investigation process before the worker can be reassigned or required to resume.

A worker's entitlement to information about hazards, chemicals, and controls in their workplace, including labels, safety data sheets, and training necessary to work safely.

Any source, situation, or act with the potential to cause harm to people, property, or the environment, whether or not it has yet produced injury.

The combination of the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm and the severity of the consequences if it does, often expressed as a qualitative or numeric rating.

A systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating who might be harmed and how severely, and determining whether existing controls are adequate or need improvement.

A grid that plots likelihood against consequence severity to assign a risk rating, helping prioritize which hazards require immediate control and which can be monitored.

A ranked order of risk-reduction measures, from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment.

A physical change to equipment, processes, or the work environment, such as ventilation, guarding, or enclosure, that reduces hazard exposure without relying on worker behavior.

The level of risk remaining after controls have been applied, which must be evaluated to confirm it is tolerable and monitored over time.

Equipment worn or held by a worker, such as respirators, gloves, or eye protection, that provides a barrier against hazards but is the least reliable control because it depends on correct use.

The process of measuring or estimating how much of a hazardous agent workers are exposed to, including intensity, frequency, and duration, to compare against occupational exposure limits.

A regulatory or advisory airborne concentration of a substance considered acceptable for most workers over a defined averaging period, used as a benchmark in exposure assessment.

An advisory airborne concentration guideline developed by a scientific committee, representing a level to which most workers may be repeatedly exposed without adverse health effects.

An average exposure concentration calculated over a standard work period, accounting for varying intensities and durations of exposure across a shift.

A ceiling-type limit on the average concentration permitted during a brief period, typically fifteen minutes, intended to prevent acute effects from short bursts of exposure.

Air monitoring in which a pump and collection medium are worn by the worker in the breathing zone to measure the individual's actual exposure.

An engineering control that captures airborne contaminants at or near their source and removes them before they enter the worker's breathing zone.

The systematic, ongoing collection and review of worker health data, such as medical exams or biological monitoring, to detect early signs of work-related ill health.

A structured program of periodic medical examinations or tests for workers in specified higher-risk roles, used to identify occupational disease and confirm fitness for duty.

Measurement of a substance or its metabolite in a worker's blood, urine, or breath to estimate absorbed dose and assess whether internal exposure is acceptable.

A determination that a worker is physically and psychologically capable of performing assigned tasks safely, considering medical restrictions and the demands of the job.

A documented set of procedures, roles, and resources defining how an organization will respond to fires, spills, medical crises, or other emergencies, including evacuation and communication steps.

A structured inquiry into what happened, why it happened, and what changes will prevent recurrence, gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses as soon as practicable after an event.

A method of tracing an incident back beyond immediate causes to the underlying management, design, or organizational failures that allowed the event to occur.

A specific change made to eliminate the cause of a detected problem, verified for effectiveness, so that the same nonconformity does not recur.

The combination of knowledge, skills, and judgment a person needs to perform a task safely and correctly, demonstrated through training, experience, and assessment.

A systematic review of job tasks, hazards, and required competencies used to determine who needs what training and at what depth before instruction is designed.

A short, focused safety briefing delivered at the worksite, usually before a shift, covering a specific hazard, task, or lesson learned.

The shared values, attitudes, and behaviors that determine how seriously an organization treats safety, reflected in reporting, learning, and management commitment.

A situation in which a professional's personal, financial, or other interest could improperly influence their safety judgments or recommendations, requiring disclosure and management.

The principles guiding an occupational health practitioner's conduct, including honesty, confidentiality, competence, and putting worker welfare ahead of convenience or pressure.