IBFCSM CHEP key terms

An unexpected occurrence involving death, serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk of such outcomes. It signals an urgent need for investigation and corrective action rather than routine review.

A structured, retrospective method for identifying underlying system failures that contributed to an adverse event, producing causal findings and an action plan to prevent recurrence.

A prospective team-based technique that maps each step of a process, identifies how it could fail, and scores severity, likelihood, and detectability to prioritize preventive redesign.

An accountability framework that distinguishes human error, at-risk behavior, and reckless conduct, responding with support, coaching, or sanction accordingly rather than blaming individuals for system-induced mistakes.

An environment in which staff at every level feel safe and obligated to voice safety concerns, question orders, or stop a procedure without fear of retaliation or humiliation.

A shared belief among team members that interpersonal risk-taking is acceptable, so people can admit uncertainty, ask questions, and report errors without embarrassment or punishment.

An organization that sustains near-error-free performance in hazardous settings through preoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify, sensitivity to operations, deference to expertise, and resilience.

The product of individual and group values, attitudes, competencies, and behaviors that determine an organization's commitment to and proficiency in health and safety management.

The transfer of patient information and responsibility between caregivers, ideally using a standardized structure with an opportunity for the receiver to read back and clarify.

A closed-loop verification in which the receiver repeats a verbal order or critical result back to the sender, who confirms accuracy before the task proceeds.

A team-training framework built on communication, leadership, situation monitoring, and mutual support, with tools such as SBAR, briefs, huddles, and debriefs.

A pre-procedure standard requiring verification of patient, site, and procedure, marking of the site, and a time-out immediately before invasive procedures to prevent wrong-site errors.

A brief pause immediately before an invasive procedure during which the whole team verbally confirms patient identity, correct site, procedure, and any special requirements.

An infection acquired by a patient during care in a healthcare setting that was not present or incubating at admission, often linked to devices, procedures, or transmission lapses.

Baseline infection-control practices applied to all patients regardless of diagnosis, including hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection, and safe sharps handling.

Additional transmission-based measures, such as contact, droplet, or airborne precautions, used with standard precautions for patients known or suspected to carry a transmissible pathogen.

Barrier garments and devices, such as gloves, gowns, masks, respirators, and eye protection, worn to prevent exposure to infectious agents, chemicals, or physical hazards.

A validated procedure confirming that a tight-fitting respirator seals against a specific wearer's face, required before use and repeated periodically or after facial changes.

A single-occupancy room with negative pressure relative to surrounding areas, monitored airflow, and high-efficiency filtration or exhaust to contain airborne infectious particles.

Engineering and practice controls, such as safety-engineered devices, sharps containers placed at point of use, and no-recapping policies, that reduce needlestick and cut exposures.

Viruses and other microorganisms transmitted through contact with infected blood or body fluids, notably hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, requiring exposure control and post-exposure follow-up.

A written program describing how an organization identifies at-risk employees, implements precautions, offers vaccination, and manages post-exposure evaluation and recordkeeping.

The organization-wide document that defines roles, capabilities, and procedures for responding to and recovering from emergencies, coordinated with community and regional plans.

A systematic process for identifying, scoring, and ranking the probability and impact of natural, technological, and human-caused hazards to prioritize emergency preparedness investments.

A preparedness strategy that builds common capabilities, such as communication, command, and surge, usable across the full spectrum of possible emergencies rather than single scenarios.

A standardized, scalable command structure with defined roles, common terminology, and manageable spans of control used to direct response operations across agencies.

An ICS adaptation for healthcare that assigns incident management roles, activates an incident action plan, and integrates the hospital with external response agencies.

An ICS application in which agencies with shared jurisdiction or responsibility jointly set objectives and coordinate action from a single command structure without relinquishing authority.

An organization's ability to expand staffed beds, supplies, equipment, and services to manage a sudden increase in patient volume beyond normal operating levels.

Formally adopted, publicly explained guidance for allocating scarce resources during overwhelming disasters when demand exceeds supply, replacing usual standards with transparent triage criteria.

A planned activity, from discussion-based tabletop to operations-based drill or full-scale exercise, that tests plans and capabilities and yields documented improvement actions.

A document summarizing what occurred during an exercise or real incident, analyzing strengths and areas for improvement, and assigning corrective actions with owners and deadlines.

A ranked framework for reducing risk, from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment.

Physical design changes that isolate people from hazards at the source, such as ventilation, guarding, sharps containers, and safety-engineered devices, requiring less worker behavior to succeed.

A standardized document listing a hazardous chemical's identity, hazards, safe handling, exposure controls, first-aid measures, and spill response, kept accessible to workers.

An employer program ensuring workers are informed of chemical hazards through labels, safety data sheets, and training, including the use of standardized pictograms and signal words.

A manufacturer or regulator action to remove or correct a device that violates regulations or presents a health risk, classified by the severity of the potential harm.

Ongoing collection and analysis of real-world safety and performance data on a marketed product to detect problems and trigger corrective or regulatory action.

A standardized code on device labels and packaging that identifies the device and its production lot, supporting traceability, recalls, and adverse event reporting.

Desensitization caused by frequent alarms, most of them non-actionable, that leads staff to delay response, silence alarms, or miss a genuine life-threatening signal.