BCSP GSP cheat sheet

Safety, Health, and Environmental Practices - Core Reference

• Hierarchy of controls, most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, personal protective equipment; PPE is the last line of defense because it protects only the wearer and depends on correct use.

• Risk score = probability × severity; residual risk is the risk remaining after controls are applied, and it must be compared against the organization's risk acceptance criteria before work proceeds.

• Incident cost iceberg: insured costs (medical, premiums) are visible; uninsured costs (lost time, training replacements, downtime, morale, legal) typically run several times higher and are estimated with indirect-cost multipliers.

• Incident ratio models (Heinrich 1-29-300; Bird's triangle 1-10-30-600) describe observed frequency relationships only - they are not causal laws and do not justify reducing focus to serious injuries alone.

• Exposure assessment order: identify the hazard (SDS, monitoring, walkthrough), characterize exposure (air sampling, noise dosimetry compared with the 8-hour TWA), then compare to the OSHA PEL, ACGIH TLV, or NIOSH REL and apply the most protective applicable limit.

• Noise: an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA triggers a hearing conservation program (audiometric testing, hearing protection, training); a 3 dB increase halves permissible exposure time, so 5 dB exchangerates apply to the OSHA PEL.

• Industrial hygiene control sequence: eliminate or substitute the agent, enclose or ventilate (local exhaust), then administrative limits and PPE; verify effectiveness by re-sampling, not by assumption.

• Hazard communication requires containers labeled, SDSs accessible, and workers trained on hazards and protective measures; environmental releases trigger reporting to regulators and may require spill response per the facility's plans.