Safe Pass key terms

Any source, situation or act with the potential to cause harm, injury or ill health. A hazard is the thing itself, not the likelihood of it causing damage.

The combination of how likely a hazard is to cause harm and how severe that harm would be. Risk is judged before and after control measures are applied.

A careful examination of what could cause harm, who might be hurt and how, so that sensible precautions can be decided and recorded before work starts.

The order in which controls are chosen, from most to least reliable: eliminate the hazard, substitute it, use engineering controls, then administrative controls, with personal protective equipment last.

The risk that remains once the chosen control measures are in place. It must still be low enough to allow the work to proceed safely.

A written document describing how a specific task will be carried out safely, in what sequence, with which equipment and controls, and who is responsible at each stage.

A formal written authorisation for high-risk work such as hot work, confined space entry or isolation of services, setting out the precautions required before, during and after the task.

A short, informal briefing given to the work team before a task, covering the hazards, the controls and any changes since the last briefing. Attendance is normally recorded.

An induction or task briefing that explains site rules, emergency arrangements and the specific dangers of the area where a person will be working.

The compulsory introduction every worker receives before starting on a site, covering layout, hazards, welfare facilities, emergency procedures and site rules.

Keeping the workplace clean and orderly by clearing waste, stacking materials safely and keeping walkways and exits free. Good housekeeping removes many slips, trips and fire hazards.

Anything that could cause a person to lose footing or stumble, such as wet floors, trailing cables, loose materials, uneven ground or poor lighting.

Work carried out anywhere a person could fall and be injured, including work above ground and work at ground level near an opening or edge.

An enclosed or partly enclosed space where serious injury can arise from hazardous atmosphere, fire, explosion or drowning, and where entry and exit are difficult.

Any man-made cut, cavity or trench in the ground. Excavations can collapse without warning and may also contain buried services or build up dangerous gases.

The sudden falling in of the sides of an excavation, which can bury or crush workers. Support, battering back the sides or a safe slope helps prevent it.

Buried pipes or cables carrying electricity, gas, water or communications. They must be located and marked before digging, using plans and cable avoidance tools.

Clothing or equipment worn or held to protect against a specific hazard, such as a hard hat, gloves, goggles or safety boots. It is a last line of defence, not a substitute for other controls.

A helmet worn to protect the head from falling objects, knocks and some electrical contact. It must fit properly, be worn with the chin strap where required, and be replaced after impact or damage.

Boots or shoes with protective toe caps and, where needed, penetration-resistant soles and electrical or chemical resistance. They protect feet from crushing, cuts and punctures.

Face masks or breathing apparatus that filter or supply clean air to protect the wearer from dust, fumes, vapours or oxygen-deficient atmospheres. It must be face-fit tested and correctly maintained.

Fine dust produced when cutting, grinding or drilling concrete, stone or brick. Breathing it can cause serious lung disease, so dust must be controlled at source, usually with water or extraction.

Any item that falls from height and could strike a person below. Tools should be tethered, materials secured and exclusion zones set beneath overhead work.

The amount of sound a worker receives over a shift. Loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss, so levels are reduced at source and hearing protection is provided where needed.

Earplugs or earmuffs worn to reduce the sound reaching the ear. They must be fitted correctly and used consistently in designated noisy areas.

Any material that can harm health, such as solvents, cement, paints or dusts. It should be identified from its label and safety data sheet before use.

A supplier document giving the hazards, safe handling, storage, first aid and emergency information for a chemical product. It supports the assessment of how the substance will be used.

A recorded assessment of the risks from a hazardous substance at work, covering exposure routes, controls, monitoring and health surveillance where required.

Making equipment or services safe by switching off, locking off and proving dead, so that energy cannot be released while people work on them.

A personal lock and warning tag fitted to an isolation point so that only the person who applied it can restore the supply. It prevents unexpected start-up.

A rigid barrier fixed along an edge or opening to stop people falling. It usually has a top rail, intermediate rail and toe board.

A system, such as a harness and lanyard, that stops a person who has already fallen. It limits the fall and the forces on the body but does not prevent the fall.

A temporary working platform erected to give access at height. It must be erected, altered and dismantled by competent people and inspected before first use and at regular intervals.

Someone with the training, knowledge, experience and, where required, qualifications to carry out a task safely and to recognise when it is beyond their ability.

Powered machinery and equipment used on site, such as excavators, dumpers, telehandlers and generators. Plant must be suitable, maintained and operated only by trained people.

Keeping people on foot physically separated from moving vehicles and plant, using barriers, marked walkways and controlled crossing points.

A vehicle or item of plant moving backwards, where the driver's view is restricted. Reversing should be avoided where possible and controlled with banksmen, alarms or cameras.

Any work using a crane, hoist or other lifting equipment to raise or lower a load. It must be planned, supervised and kept clear of people.

A marked area from which people are kept out because of a hazard such as lifting, demolition, excavation or overhead work. Only authorised people may enter.

An unplanned event that results in injury or ill health to a person. It must be reported and recorded so that causes can be found and prevented.

An unplanned event that did not cause injury but had the potential to do so. Reporting near misses allows problems to be fixed before someone is hurt.

The record kept on site where accidents and dangerous occurrences are entered, usually the statutory accident book. Entries should be made as soon as possible after the event.

A report to the enforcing authority of specified serious workplace incidents, such as deaths, certain injuries, dangerous occurrences and some absences from work due to injury or disease.

An injury of a type or severity that must be reported to the enforcing authority, for example a fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or toes, or an injury causing more than seven days off work.

The designated place where people gather after an evacuation so that they can be counted and accounted for. It should be clearly signed and known to everyone on site.

Leaving the site or building quickly and by a safe route when an alarm sounds or when told to do so, without stopping to collect belongings.

A portable device for putting out a small fire in its early stages. It must match the class of fire, and people should only use one if trained and it is safe to do so.

A trained person responsible for checking that an area is clear during an evacuation, guiding people to the assembly point and reporting to the person in charge.

The toilets, washing, drinking water, rest areas and changing facilities that must be provided on site. They protect health and support good hygiene.

A measurement of the atmosphere in a space before and during entry, checking oxygen level and flammable or toxic gases. Results decide whether entry is allowed and what breathing equipment is needed.