CRSA / RSA Exam key terms

A ranked sequence for reducing risk: eliminate the hazard, substitute something safer, engineer controls, apply administrative controls, then rely on personal protective equipment as the last layer.

A grid that combines likelihood and severity ratings to rank hazards, showing which risks need immediate action and which can be monitored under routine controls.

The level of risk that remains after all planned controls are in place. It must be judged acceptable before work proceeds, and documented so reviewers can see the basis for that judgment.

The systematic process of finding sources of harm in a workplace by inspecting tasks, equipment, chemicals, and conditions, then recording each one before evaluating its risk.

A step-by-step breakdown of a task that identifies hazards at each step and assigns controls. It works best for high-risk or infrequent jobs and should involve the workers who perform them.

A physical change to equipment, processes, or the work environment that reduces exposure at its source, such as local exhaust ventilation, machine guarding, or sound enclosures.

A documented review of workplace hazards used to select appropriate personal protective equipment, including certification of the assessment and written confirmation that it was performed.

A space large enough to enter, with limited entry or exit, not designed for continuous occupancy, and containing a serious hazard such as toxic atmosphere, engulfment, or hazardous energy.

A procedure for isolating hazardous energy sources before servicing equipment, using locks and tags so machines cannot be re-energized while workers are exposed to moving parts or stored energy.

Measuring oxygen content, flammables, and toxic gases in a space before and during entry. Results determine ventilation needs, entry approval, and whether entrants must use supplied-air respiratory protection.

Sampling air, noise, or surface contamination to estimate worker exposure. Results are compared against occupational exposure limits to decide whether controls or medical surveillance are required.

A regulatory or advisory ceiling on workplace exposure to a substance, usually expressed as a time-weighted average or short-term limit, used to judge whether controls are adequate.

The legal airborne concentration limit for a substance under workplace safety regulation. It is enforceable, and exceeding it generally requires additional controls and may trigger medical surveillance.

A test confirming a tight-fitting respirator seals on a worker's face. It must be repeated periodically and whenever facial changes could affect the seal, and it is separate from medical clearance.

Required measures when noise exposure reaches the action level: monitoring, audiometric testing, hearing protection, employee training, and recordkeeping to prevent occupational hearing loss.

A standardized 16-section document supplied with a hazardous chemical, describing hazards, safe handling, first aid, and control measures. It supports hazard communication but is not a substitute for a full risk assessment.

A written program requiring labels, safety data sheets, and worker training on hazardous chemicals. It explains how employees learn about hazards and protections in their own work areas.

Structured instruction that gives workers the knowledge and skills to recognize hazards and follow controls. It should be documented, verified by evaluation, and repeated when conditions or assignments change.

A review of job tasks, incident history, and worker competence to determine what training is required, who needs it, and how it should be delivered before training is designed.

Design ideas for training adults: relevance to real tasks, active practice, problem-solving, and respect for prior experience. They improve retention compared with lecture-only delivery.

A short, focused safety discussion held with a work crew before or during a shift, covering a specific hazard, recent incident, or task plan and inviting questions from workers.

A structured examination of an unwanted event to determine what happened, why defenses failed, and what changes will prevent recurrence. It focuses on causes, not blame.

A method such as the five-whys or fault tree used to trace an incident beyond immediate actions to underlying management, design, or training failures that allowed the event.

An event that could have caused injury or damage but did not. Reporting near misses provides early warning of failing controls and should be encouraged without punishment.

A specific, assigned change made in response to an incident, inspection finding, or audit, with a responsible person and due date, then verified as effective after implementation.

A written plan covering evacuation routes, alarm signals, reporting procedures, accounting for occupants, and assigned duties so people respond correctly during fire, chemical release, or medical emergencies.

A planned rehearsal of emergency procedures used to test plans, communications, and roles. Results are critiqued and used to revise the emergency plan and related training.

The planning, organizing, and resourcing of occupational safety work, including written policies, defined responsibilities, budgets, and goals that align safety objectives with the organization's operations.

A periodic senior-level examination of safety performance data, audit results, and program objectives to confirm the system remains suitable and to direct needed resources or changes.

A proactive measure of safety activity, such as completed inspections or training hours, that predicts future performance rather than counting harm after it occurs.

A measure of outcomes that have already happened, such as injury rates or lost workdays. It is useful for trends but reacts only after harm has occurred.

A calculated measure of recordable injuries or illnesses normalized to hours worked, allowing fair comparison across departments, sites, or time periods of different sizes.

The regulated maintenance of logs and reports for work-related injuries and illnesses, including criteria for what is recordable and retention periods for the records.

Meeting the legal duties set by workplace safety statutes and their standards, including written programs, training, recordkeeping, and abatement of cited hazards within required timeframes.

A systematic, documented review of program elements against standards or internal criteria to verify that required practices exist and are followed, producing findings for corrective action.

A joint worker-management group that reviews hazards, incident trends, and inspection findings and recommends improvements. Its authority and meeting requirements often come from regulation.

The shared assumptions and behaviors that determine how seriously an organization treats risk, including whether workers report problems freely and whether leaders act on what they hear.

The professional standards governing a safety practitioner's conduct, including honesty in reporting, competence within one's qualifications, confidentiality, and avoidance of conflicts of interest.