Gold Seal Safety Practitioner cheat sheet

Hierarchy of controls, strongest to weakest: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, personal protective equipment.

Risk score formula: Risk = Severity × Probability (or Likelihood × Consequence); a 5×5 matrix yields scores 1–25, with 15–25 typically requiring immediate action.

Incident pyramid logic: reducing minor incidents and near misses tends to reduce severe outcomes, so near-miss reporting is a leading indicator.

Hazard vs. risk distinction: a hazard is a source of potential harm; risk is the combination of likelihood and consequence of that harm occurring.

ALARP principle: risk must be reduced as low as reasonably practicable, weighing cost against the magnitude of risk reduction achieved.

Standard exposure dose estimate: Dose = Concentration × Exposure Duration; halving duration halves the dose when concentration is constant.

PPE is the last line of defense because it protects only the wearer and depends on correct fit, use, and maintenance.

Safety triangle data are correlational, not causal; use them to prioritize investigation, not to prove a control works.

Leading indicators (training completion, inspection frequency, near-miss reports) predict future performance; lagging indicators (TRIR, DART, lost-time cases) describe past outcomes.

TRIR formula: (Number of recordable cases × 200,000) ÷ Total hours worked, where 200,000 = 100 employees × 40 hours × 50 weeks.

DART rate formula: (Days away, restricted, or transferred cases × 200,000) ÷ Total hours worked.

Severity rate formula: (Days lost × 200,000) ÷ Total hours worked; it complements frequency rates by capturing harm magnitude.

Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle: plan the control, implement it, verify effectiveness through audits and metrics, then standardize or correct.

Management commitment is measured by resources allocated, visible participation, and accountability systems, not by policy statements alone.

Corrective action hierarchy: fix the system (design, procedure, training) rather than blaming the individual, because most incidents involve latent organizational conditions.

Audit vs. inspection: audits evaluate management systems and conformance; inspections verify physical conditions and behaviors at a point in time.

Incident investigation sequence: secure the scene, preserve evidence, gather witness statements separately, establish timeline, identify root causes, assign corrective actions.

Root cause analysis tools include the 5 Whys, fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram, and fault tree analysis; each separates symptoms from underlying causes.

Job hazard analysis (JHA) breaks a task into steps, identifies hazards per step, and defines controls before work begins.

Permit-to-work systems apply to hot work, confined space entry, lockout/tagout, and other high-hazard tasks requiring verification before and during work.

Emergency action plan elements: roles, alarm signals, evacuation routes and assembly points, accounting for personnel, and drills with documented critiques.

Communication must match literacy, language, and learning style; training is verified by demonstrated behavior, not attendance records alone.

Safety data sheets (SDS) follow a 16-section format covering hazards, first aid, firefighting, handling, exposure controls, and disposal.

Sampling strategy matters: grab samples show a moment in time, while personal breathing-zone samples over a full shift best estimate true exposure.