OSHA 501 key terms

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

The provision requiring employers to comply with the specific occupational safety and health standards promulgated under the Act that apply to their workplaces and operations.

A condition that a reasonable person familiar with the industry would identify as dangerous, based on industry practice, common knowledge, or employer awareness. It is an element the Agency must prove under the General Duty Clause.

A corrective measure that is technologically and economically capable of being carried out and that would materially reduce or eliminate a hazard. It is required to establish a General Duty Clause violation.

A rule that applies across many industries and operations rather than to one specific process, such as the walking-working surfaces, hazard communication, or personal protective equipment standards.

A rule written for a particular industry or operation, such as construction or shipyard employment standards, and which takes precedence over a conflicting horizontal standard.

A written notice issued after an inspection alleging a violation, proposing a penalty, and setting an abatement date. It is not a final order until the contest period expires or a review commission decides.

A written challenge filed by an employer within 15 working days of receiving a citation or penalty notice, which preserves the right to a hearing before the review commission.

The process by which an employer documents that cited hazards have been corrected by the required date, and the Agency confirms the correction, sometimes through follow-up inspection or supporting records.

A violation committed with intentional, knowing, or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to employee safety and health. It carries the highest penalty range.

A violation for which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.

A violation that has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is not likely to cause death or serious physical harm, and is often corrected during the inspection.

A technical or minor condition that has no direct or immediate relationship to safety or health. It is documented but carries no penalty and no abatement requirement.

A violation of any standard, regulation, rule, or order where, upon reinspection, a substantially similar violation is found and the prior citation became a final order within the preceding five years.

Section 11(c) protects employees from discharge or discrimination for exercising rights under the Act, such as filing complaints, participating in inspections, or reporting injuries. Complaints are generally due within 30 days.

Legal safeguards that shield workers from retaliation for reporting hazards, injuries, or violations. More than twenty statutes are enforced through the Agency's whistleblower program, each with its own filing deadline.

The right of employees, through an authorized representative, to accompany the compliance officer during a workplace inspection and to participate in related conferences with the employer.

Official identification and documentation a compliance officer presents at the start of an inspection. Employers may verify credentials but generally may not refuse entry without a warrant.

The initial meeting of an inspection where the compliance officer explains the purpose and scope, presents credentials, and requests employer and employee representatives to join the walkaround.

The final meeting of an inspection in which the compliance officer discusses apparent violations, possible abatement methods and dates, and the employer's rights and obligations.

A planned inspection of establishments selected by an industry targeting or scheduling system based on injury and illness data, rather than triggered by a complaint or catastrophe.

An inspection triggered by a specific event, such as an employee complaint, a fatality, a catastrophic accident, or a referral from another agency or a media report.

A process in which the employer is asked to investigate a hazard and report corrective action, often used for severe injury reports, before deciding whether an on-site inspection is needed.

The requirement that employers report to the Agency within specified timeframes work-related fatalities, in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye.

The Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses and the Incident Report form used to record each case's details. Both must be retained for five years and made available to employees and inspectors.

The annual summary of work-related injuries and illnesses, posted in the workplace from February 1 through April 30, and certified by a company executive.

A work-related injury or illness that results in death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or a significant diagnosis by a physician.

The distinction that determines recordability: first aid includes simple wound cleaning, bandages, and nonprescription medication, while medical treatment involves more advanced care such as stitches or prescription drugs.

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

A physical change to the workplace or process, such as ventilation, machine guarding, or enclosure, that reduces exposure at the source without relying on worker behavior.

Equipment worn by employees, such as gloves, respirators, or hard hats, to reduce exposure. It is the last line of defense and requires hazard assessment, training, and proper fit.

The rule requiring employers to inventory hazardous chemicals, obtain and maintain safety data sheets, label containers, and train workers on hazards and protective measures.

A standardized document with sixteen sections that describes a chemical's hazards, safe handling, first aid, and control measures. Employers must keep it accessible to workers.

An international system for classifying chemicals and communicating hazards using standardized pictograms, signal words, and hazard statements on labels and safety data sheets.

A legal limit on the amount or concentration of a substance in workplace air, generally expressed as an eight-hour time-weighted average or a short-term exposure limit.

An exposure measure that averages airborne concentration over a reference period, typically eight hours, accounting for time spent in different exposure conditions during the shift.

The level of protection a respirator is expected to provide when used in a complete respiratory protection program, expressed as the ratio of outside to inside concentration.

A test that verifies a respirator seals to the wearer's face. It may be qualitative, relying on taste or smell, or quantitative, measuring leakage, and is repeated at least annually.

The practice of isolating energy sources and applying locks or tags before servicing equipment, so machines cannot start or release stored energy unexpectedly. It requires written procedures and training.

A written document describing how to shut down, isolate, block, and secure each machine or system, including steps for verifying de-energization and for group lockout.

Physical barriers or devices that protect workers from rotating parts, pinch points, and other mechanical hazards at the point of operation, along with required training and inspection.

A space large enough for entry, with limited means of entry or exit, and not designed for continuous occupancy. Permit-required spaces add hazards such as engulfment or hazardous atmospheres.

A confined space containing a hazardous atmosphere, engulfment potential, or another serious hazard, requiring a written permit, attendant, atmospheric testing, and rescue arrangements before entry.

The process of measuring oxygen, flammable gas, and toxic contaminants in a space before entry and continuously during occupancy, using calibrated instruments and a defined testing order.

Systems and practices that prevent or arrest falls from heights, including guardrails, personal fall arrest systems, and safe work practices, with training and equipment inspection required.

The standard covering floors, aisles, ladders, stairways, and dockboards, requiring housekeeping, proper maintenance, and protection against slips, trips, and falls.

A systematic review of workplace tasks and conditions to identify hazards and determine the controls needed, including the selection of personal protective equipment and safe work procedures.

A technique that breaks a job into steps, identifies hazards at each step, and defines controls and safe procedures. It is used for training, procedure writing, and incident prevention.

A structured, proactive approach to managing risk through leadership commitment, worker participation, hazard identification, prevention and control, education and training, and program evaluation.