OSHA 10 Maritime key terms

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm, even when no specific standard covers that hazard.

Four rule sets covering shipyard employment, marine terminals, longshoring, and commercial diving. Which part applies depends on the work and the location, not on the employer's industry label.

OSHA rules for shipbuilding, ship repair, shipbreaking, and related work aboard vessels, including scaffolding, painting, welding, and vessel-hull access. Subpart B covers confined and enclosed spaces and other dangerous atmospheres.

OSHA rules for shoreside terminal operations such as cargo handling, roll-on/roll-off ramps, container stacks, and vehicle traffic on piers. It addresses the land side of the ship-to-shore interface.

OSHA rules for loading and unloading vessels, covering cargo handling gear, slings, ladders and gangways, hatches, and the movement of workers on and around ships during cargo operations.

Requirements for scuba, surface-supplied, and other commercial diving work, including dive plans, tending lines, decompression, and standby diver provisions. Recreational diving rules do not satisfy these requirements.

Rules requiring employers to log work-related injuries and illnesses on the OSHA 300 form, post an annual summary, and report fatalities and certain severe injuries to OSHA within set timeframes.

An authorized compliance officer's walkthrough of a workplace to identify hazards and check compliance. Inspections may be programmed, complaint-driven, referral-based, or triggered by a fatality or catastrophe.

A formal notice that an employer violated a standard, with abatement deadlines and monetary penalties that vary by violation type, such as serious, willful, or repeated. Employers may contest citations.

Prohibits retaliation against workers who report safety concerns, file complaints, or participate in inspections. Covered workers can file a complaint and may be entitled to reinstatement and back pay.

A danger that a reasonable employer in the same industry would know about, or that the employer should have identified through common sense or available information, even without a specific rule.

A state-run occupational safety and health program approved by OSHA. It must be at least as effective as the federal program and may cover public-sector workers federal OSHA does not.

Someone who can identify existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions and who has authority to take prompt corrective action to eliminate them.

A person who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has demonstrated ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter or work.

A systematic review of workplace tasks to identify hazards and select appropriate controls, including personal protective equipment. It should be repeated when operations or equipment change.

A method that breaks a job into steps, identifies hazards at each step, and defines controls before work begins. Also called a job hazard analysis.

Equipment worn to reduce exposure to hazards, such as hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, and hearing protection. Employers must provide required PPE at no cost and train workers in its use.

A ranked approach to reducing risk: eliminate the hazard, substitute something safer, use engineering controls, apply administrative controls, and finally rely on PPE. Higher levels generally protect more people more reliably.

Systems and practices that prevent falls from heights or arrest them after they occur, including guardrails, safety nets, personal fall-arrest systems, and safe access to vessels.

A space large enough to enter, with limited entry or exit, and not designed for continuous occupancy. Examples include cargo tanks, holds, and voids. Entry may require permits, testing, and an attendant.

Measuring oxygen level, flammability, and toxic gases before and during entry into a space. Testing order matters: oxygen first, then flammables, then toxics, and testing must continue while workers are inside.

An atmosphere with less than 19.5 percent oxygen by volume. It can cause impaired judgment, collapse, and death, and it is often undetectable without an instrument.

A written authorization documenting that a space has been isolated, cleaned, tested, and made safe for entry, with named entrants, attendants, and rescue arrangements. It is issued before entry and closed out afterward.

A worker stationed outside a confined space who monitors entrants, maintains communication, controls entry, and summons rescue. The attendant does not enter the space to attempt rescue.

A procedure that isolates hazardous energy sources, such as electricity, steam, or hydraulics, and applies locks and tags so equipment cannot be started or release stored energy during maintenance or repair.

Energy held in springs, pressurized lines, raised loads, capacitors, or suspended parts that can release suddenly when a system is shut down. It must be relieved or restrained before work begins.

Rigging and lifting equipment used with vessels, such as slings, shackles, hooks, and spreaders. It must be inspected, rated, and marked, and damaged gear must be removed from service.

Examining slings, shackles, and fittings for broken wires, cuts, wear, corrosion, and missing tags before each use. Defective gear is tagged out and removed, not repaired by untrained workers.

The maximum load a piece of lifting equipment is rated to handle under stated conditions, typically a fraction of its breaking strength. Exceeding it can cause sudden failure and dropped loads.

The means of access between a vessel and the shore or between vessels. It must be properly positioned, secured, fitted with a safety net where required, and kept clear of obstructions.

An emergency in which a person falls into the water. Response includes raising the alarm, throwing flotation, marking the position, and recovering the person while avoiding propeller and cold-water hazards.

Buoyant equipment used to keep people afloat. Ring buoys with lines are staged for rescue, and personal flotation devices are worn or available as required near water and during over-water work.

The rule requiring chemical hazards to be classified and communicated through labels, safety data sheets, and training so workers understand the risks and required precautions for products they handle.

A standardized document describing a chemical's hazards, safe handling, first aid, and spill response, organized into 16 sections. Workers must be able to access it during their shift.

A written authorization for welding, cutting, or other spark- or flame-producing work, confirming fire watch, area preparation, gas testing where needed, and removal of combustibles before work starts.

Required when noise exposure reaches an 8-hour average of 85 decibels. It includes monitoring, hearing tests, hearing protection, training, and recordkeeping to prevent permanent hearing loss.

Rules protecting workers with occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material, requiring an exposure control plan, hepatitis B vaccination offer, PPE, and post-exposure evaluation.

The domain covering physical, chemical, atmospheric, and operational dangers specific to shipyard, terminal, longshoring, and diving work, and the standards that control them.