IHMM CSHM key terms

A step-by-step method that breaks a task into its component actions, identifies hazards at each step, and specifies controls before work begins. It is usually documented and reviewed with the workers who perform the task.

A ranked sequence of hazard controls from most to least reliable: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. It guides selection so that controls do not depend solely on worker behavior.

A grid that combines estimates of likelihood and severity to assign a risk level to each hazard. It helps rank hazards so limited resources go to the highest-risk exposures first.

The risk that remains after controls have been applied. It must be compared against an established acceptability criterion, because few hazards can be reduced to zero.

Equipment worn by a worker, such as gloves, respirators, or fall harnesses, to reduce exposure to a hazard. It is the last line of defense because it protects only the individual and depends on correct use.

The process of measuring or estimating how much of a hazard a worker contacts, including concentration, duration, and frequency. Results drive control decisions and demonstrate whether controls are effective.

An occupational exposure guideline published by a professional scientific body, typically expressed as an airborne concentration for a normal workday or workweek. It is advisory guidance, not a legally enforceable limit.

A legally enforceable airborne exposure limit set by a regulatory agency for a specific substance. Employers must keep worker exposures at or below the limit and often must monitor and document them.

A structured investigation method that traces an incident past immediate causes to the underlying management, design, or organizational conditions that allowed it to happen. Corrective actions target those underlying conditions.

A systematic process of gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and reconstructing events to determine what happened and why. Its purpose is prevention, not blame, and it should begin promptly while evidence is intact.

A simple questioning technique that repeatedly asks why a condition or event occurred, typically about five times, until the underlying cause surfaces. It works best for relatively straightforward, single-path problems.

A cause-and-effect diagram that organizes possible causes into branches such as people, equipment, methods, materials, and environment. Teams use it to brainstorm broadly before testing which causes are supported by evidence.

A documented record tracking who collected, handled, and stored physical evidence, and when. Gaps or missing signatures can undermine the credibility of evidence in legal or regulatory proceedings.

Steps taken to protect the incident scene and physical items from alteration, loss, or contamination before investigation. It may include barricades, photographs, sketches, and controlled access to the area.

A specific change made to eliminate a detected cause of nonconformity or incident and prevent recurrence. Effective corrective actions are assigned an owner, a due date, and a verification step.

A structured conversation with someone who observed an incident, conducted to obtain facts while memory is fresh. Open-ended questions come first, and interviews are usually conducted separately to avoid contamination.

A systematic, documented examination of safety programs, records, and conditions against defined criteria. It evaluates conformance and management system effectiveness, distinct from a walkthrough inspection that focuses on physical conditions.

A focused check of the workplace for hazardous conditions and unsafe practices, often conducted on a routine schedule. Findings are typically corrected promptly at the local level rather than through system-level change.

A proactive measure of preventive activity, such as completed inspections, training hours, or near-miss reports, that predicts future safety performance. It contrasts with lagging indicators that record harm already suffered.

A retrospective measure of outcomes already experienced, such as recordable injuries, lost workdays, or incident costs. Useful for confirming trends but limited for predicting future performance.

A cooperative recognition program in which regulators certify sites that demonstrate comprehensive safety and health management systems and injury rates below industry averages. Participation is voluntary and status must be maintained.

A workers' compensation rating factor comparing an employer's past claims costs with the average for its industry class. A value below 1.0 indicates better-than-average loss experience and usually lowers premium.

A post-policy review in which an insurer verifies the payroll and job classifications used to calculate workers' compensation premium. Errors or misclassification result in additional premium or refunds.

The assignment of an employer's operations to a rating category that reflects the hazard of the work performed. Each class carries its own rate, so misclassification directly affects premium cost.

The principle that workers' compensation benefits are the employee's sole recovery from the employer for most work-related injuries. In exchange, the employee gives up the need to prove employer fault.

Money an insurer or self-insured employer sets aside to pay reported claims, including estimated future medical and indemnity costs. Reserves are actuarially estimated and adjusted as claims develop.

Legal responsibility of a manufacturer or seller for harm caused by a defective product. Claims commonly rest on design defects, manufacturing defects, or inadequate warnings and instructions.

A team-based technique that lists the ways a product or process can fail, rates each failure's severity, occurrence, and detectability, and prioritizes action on the highest scores. It is performed during design or before process launch.

On-product or on-package communication that alerts users to hazards and tells them how to avoid harm. Adequacy is judged by whether it reaches and is understood by the expected user population.

A planned, documented evaluation of a product design against safety, regulatory, and customer requirements at defined stages of development. It records decisions and actions so hazards are addressed before production.

A permitting program regulating point-source discharges of pollutants into waters of the United States. Facilities must obtain and comply with permit limits, monitoring, and reporting requirements.

An authorization required for sources that emit regulated air pollutants above specified thresholds. Permits set emission limits, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting obligations the facility must meet.

A federal law requiring facilities to report hazardous chemical inventories and releases and to participate in local emergency planning. It supports community awareness and emergency response coordination.

Requirements to inform workers about chemical hazards through labels, safety data sheets, and training. The goal is that employees understand the hazards and protections before they handle a substance.

A written plan required for facilities that store certain quantities of oil, describing containment, inspection, and response procedures to prevent oil from reaching navigable waters. It must be reviewed and updated periodically.

The framework of laws, contracts, and practices governing the relationship between employers and represented or organized employees. It shapes how safety rules, discipline, and workplace changes are communicated and negotiated.

A negotiated contract between an employer and a union covering wages, hours, and working conditions, often including safety committees and hazard reporting protections. Its terms are legally enforceable.

A defined multi-step process for resolving employee complaints about contract interpretation or treatment, typically ending in arbitration. Safety-related disputes may follow this path rather than regulatory channels.

A financial measure comparing the benefit or savings produced by an expenditure with its cost, usually expressed as a percentage. Safety proposals often use it to show payback from reduced injuries or claims.

A comparison of the expected costs of a proposed control or program against its expected benefits, often over several years. It supports resource decisions and documents the business case for safety spending.

The sum of insurance premiums, retained losses, administrative costs, and indirect costs associated with an organization's risk exposures. Tracking it shows how safety improvements affect overall financial performance.

A formal process for reviewing and approving changes to facilities, processes, or procedures before implementation. It identifies new hazards introduced by the change and updates documentation, training, and controls.