00101 Basic Safety

Safety Culture

The culture created when the whole company sees the value of a safe work environment.

Incident

Per the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an unplanned event that does not result in personal injury but may result in property damage or is worthy of recording

Accident

According to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an unplanned event that results in personal injury and/or property damage.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

An agency of the US Department of Labor. Also refers to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, a law that applies to more than 130 million workers and 7 million job sites in the United States.

Trench

A narrow excavation made below the surface of the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide, with a maximum width of 15 feet (4.6m).

Confined spaces

A work area large enough for a person to work, but arranged in such a way that an employee must physically enter the space to perform work. A confined space has a limited or restricted means of entry and exit. It is not designed for continuous work. Tanks, vessels, silos, pits, vaults, and hoppers are examples of confined spaces.

Management system

The organization of a company's management, including reporting procedures, supervisory responsibility, and administration.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

A document that must accompany any hazardous substance. The SDS identifies the substance and gives the exposure limits, the physical and chemical characteristics, the kind of hazard it presents, precautions for safe handling and use, and specific control measures.

Respirators

Devices that provide clean, filtered air for breathing, no matter what is in the surrounding air.

Flammable

Capable of easily igniting and rapidly burning; used to describe a fuel with a flash point below 100°F (38°C).

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Equipment or clothing designed to prevent or reduce injuries.

Combustible

Capable of easily igniting and rapidly burning; used to describe a fuel with a flash point at or above 100*F.

Hazard Communication (HAZCOM) Standard

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard that requires contractors to educate employees about hazardous chemicals on the job site and how to work with them safely.

Pneumatic

Powered by air pressure, such as a pneumatic tool.

Hydraulic

Powered by fluid under pressure.

Competent person

A person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

Lanyards

Short sections of rope or strap, one end of which is attached to a worker's safety harness and the other to a strong anchor point above the work area.

Scaffolds

Elevated platforms for workers and materials

Excavation

Any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in an earth surface, formed by removing earth. They can be made for anything from basements to highways.

Six-foot rule

A rule stating that platforms or work surfaces with unprotected sides or edges that are six feet or higher than the ground or level below it require fall protection.

Guarded

Enclosed, fenced, covered, or otherwise protected by barriers, rails, covers, or platforms to prevent dangerous contact.

Toeboards

Vertical barriers at floor level attached along exposed edges of a platform, runway, or ramp to prevent materials and people from falling.

Midrail

Mid-level, horizontal board required on all open sides of scaffolds and platforms that are more than 14 inches (35 cm) from the face of the structure and more than 10 feet (3 m) above the ground. It is placed halfway between the toe-board and the top rail.

Maximum intended load

The total weight of all people, equipment, tools, materials, and loads that a ladder can hold at one time.

Hand line

A line attached to a tool or object so a worker can pull it up after climbing a ladder or scaffold.

Top rails

Top-level, horizontal boards required on all open sides of scaffolds and platforms that are more than 14 inches (36cm) from the face of the structure and more than 10 feet (3m) above the ground.

Cross-bracing

Braces (metal or wood) placed diagonally from the bottom of one rail to the top of another rail that add support to a structure.

Planked

Having pieces of material 2 or more inches thick and 6 or more inches wide used as flooring, decking, or scaffold decks.

Signaler

A person who is responsible for directing a vehicle when the driver's vision is blocked in any way.

Shoring

A support system designed to prevent a trench or excavation cave-in.

Shielding

A structure used to protect workers in trenches.

Lockout/tagout (LOTO)

A formal procedure for taking equipment out of service and ensuring that it cannot be operated until an authorized person has removed the lock and/or warning tag.

Ground

The conducting connection between electrical equipment or an electrical circuit and the earth.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)

A device that interrupts and de-energizes an electrical circuit to protect a person from electrocution.

Proximity work

Work done near a hazard but not actually in contact with it.

Arc welding

The joining of metal parts by fusion, in which the necessary heat is produced by means of an electric arc.

Silicosis

A serious lung disease resulting from the inhalation of crystalline silica particles.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Lung disease(s) that results in the obstruction of lung airflow and interferes with normal breathing. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema generally fall under the diagnosis of COPD.

High-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filters

Special filters designed to capture very small particles. HEPA filters have a minimum efficiency of 99.97 percent, capturing particles that are 0.3 microns (0.0000117 inch) or larger in size.

Clean rooms

A room or area that is used for scientific research or specialized processes, such as the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. The cleanliness level of a clean room is generally based on the number of particles measured per cubic meter of area.

Wind sock

A cloth cone open at both ends mounted in a high place to show which direction the wind is blowing.

Welding curtains

Protective screens set up around a welding operation designed to safeguard workers not directly involved in that operation.

Flash burn

The damage that can be done to eyes after even brief exposure to ultraviolet light from arc welding. A flash burn requires medical attention.

Brazing

A process using heat in excess of 800°F (427°C) to melt a filler metal that is drawn into a connection. It is commonly used to join copper pipe.

Flash point

The temperature at which fuel gives off enough gases (vapors) to burn.

Qualified person

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

Permit-required confined space

A confined space that has been evaluated and found to have actual or potential hazards, such as a toxic atmosphere or other serious safety or health hazard. Workers need written authorization to enter a permit-required confined space.