Glossary
Abduction Method
Moving a body part away from the medial plane (to the left or right).
Absorption
The collection of molecules into a sorbent material through chemical attractions and interactions.
Accelerometer
A device used to measure vibration.
Acclimatisation
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The physiological adaptation to changes in climate or environment, such as light, temperature, or altitude |
ACM
Asbestos-containing material
Acute Effect
A change in the body after a relatively short term following exposure to a substance.
ADG Code
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The Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail (ADG Code) sets out the requirements for transporting dangerous goods by road or rail. |
Administrative Control
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Reduce or eliminate exposure of individuals to a hazard, or the environment from an environmental aspect, by adherence to procedures or instructions. Documentation should emphasise all the steps to be taken and the controls to be used in carrying out the task both safely and with minimum impact to the environment. |
Air Quality
A professional industrial hygienist will measure air quality in two key areas: a worker’s breathing zone and the ambient air in a given physical area. The resultant approach to improving air quality is three-tiered: Eliminate or reduce particles and fumes through engineering controls.
Atmospheric monitoring
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A procedure whereby air is sampled within the breathing zone of a person to evaluate the person’s exposure to airborne contaminants |
Audiometric test
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The measurement of a person’s air conduction hearing threshold levels by means of an electro-acoustic instrument (audiometer), equipped with earphones, that provides pure tones of specified discrete frequencies at known hearing levels |
Biological Monitoring
The measurement of the body fluids as it relates to exposure to hazardous substances. Results may be compared with specific biological exposure standards.
Breathing Zone
Conventionally, the “breathing zone” is defined as the zone within a 0.3 m (or 10 inches) radius of a worker’s nose and mouth, and it has been generally assumed that a contaminant in the breathing zone is homogeneous and its concentration is equivalent to the concentration inhaled by the worker.
Carcinogen
A chemical, physical or biological agent that can cause cancer in humans or and animals. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) publishes a list of carcinogens.
Carcinogens licence
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▪ A licence to use a Schedule 5A carcinogenic substance at a laboratory; or ▪ A licence to use a Schedule 5B carcinogenic substance at a laboratory; or ▪ A licence to use a Schedule 5B carcinogenic substance at a workplace other than a laboratory |
Calibration
Calibration is the process of configuring an instrument to provide a result for a sample within an acceptable range. Eliminating or minimizing factors that cause inaccurate measurements is a fundamental aspect of instrumentation design.
Change
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The introduction, purchase, or trial of a new item of plant, hazardous substance, process, equipment, facility, service provider or material; a modification made whether temporary or permanent, to an existing unit of plant, or process from its current design or state. Normal repairs or other activities to restore same functionality are not considered as change. |
Chronic Effect
A change in the body over a relatively long period of time following repeated exposure.
Confined Space
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A space in any vat, tank, pit, pipe, duct, flue, oven, chimney, silo, reaction vessel, container, receptacle, underground sewer or well, or any shaft, trench, or tunnel or other similar enclosed or partially enclosed structure, if the space—
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Control Measure
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An action taken to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks so far as is reasonably practicable |
Corrosive
A chemical that will burn the skin upon contact.
Dangerous Goods
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Dangerous goods are substances and articles classified based on immediate physical or chemical effects such as fire, explosion, corrosion, oxidation, spontaneous combustion and poisoning that can harm property, the environment or people. Dangerous goods may be solids, liquids, gas, pure substances, or mixtures. Dangerous goods are listed in the Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG Code). A dangerous good can also be a Hazardous Chemical and/or a drug, poison, or controlled substance. |
Dermatitis
The most common occupational disease with symptoms of redness, blisters, and cracks in the skin.
Decibel
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Decibel (dB), unit for expressing the ratio between two physical quantities, usually amounts of acoustic or electric power, or for measuring the relative loudness of sounds. |
Dry bulb temperature
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The true thermodynamic temperature, the temperature measured by a regular thermometer exposed to the air but shielded from radiation and moisture |
Duty holder
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Any person who owes a work health and safety duty under the OHS Act including a person conducting a business or undertaking, a designer, manufacturer, importer, supplier, installer of products or plant used at work (upstream duty holder), officer or a worker. |
Engineering Controls
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Involve some structural change to the work environment or work process to place a barrier to, or interrupt the transmission path between, the employee or environment and the hazard or environmental aspect. This may include isolation or enclosure of hazards or environmental aspects, machine guards and manual handling devices. |
Environmental impact
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The impact on the environment created by an industry, service, plan, or project |
Ergonomics
The study or work stressors associated with the overuse of muscles, bad posture, and repeated tasks. This is accomplished by designing tasks, work spaces, controls, displays, tools, lighting, and equipment to fit the employee´s physical capabilities and limitations.
Fatigue
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Physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress, medication, overwork, or mental or physical illness or disease. |
Fume
Fine, solid particles formed when hot metal vapors cools that are associated with metal, especially from welding.
Fume Cupboard
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A ventilated enclosure in a laboratory or workshop, in which harmful, volatile substances can be used. |
GHS
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Globally Harmonised System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, published by the United Nations. |
Hazardous Material
Any substance that may cause adverse health effects to people and the environment.
Heat Stress
Exposure to extreme heat that can result in occupational illnesses and injuries.
Industrial Hygiene
Art and science dedicated to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of workplace environmental stressors that may result in injury, illness, impairment, or affect the well being of workers. These stressors include biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic and psychosocial factors.
JSA
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Job Safety Analysis – a written procedure developed to review work steps and their associated hazards to put in place correct solutions to eliminate or minimise the risk of those hazards. |
Mist
Small droplets of liquid suspended in the air.
Occupational Exposure Limit
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Numerical values (e.g., parts per million for chemical fumes; dBA for noise levels, 0C for temperature) which represent the exposure levels to which workers and students may be repeatedly exposed and are regarded as an “acceptable risk”. |
Occupational Illness
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An abnormal health condition or disorder, other than one resulting directly from a work-related injury, caused, or mainly caused by work-related factors and may be diagnosed and recognised as part of national schemes. This includes both acute and chronic illnesses caused by inhalation, absorption, ingestion, or the repeated impact of agents, as well as psychosocial disorders. |
Occupational Noise
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All sound in the work or learning environment, either wanted or unwanted. Prolonged exposure to excessive noise can result in irreversible damage to a person’s hearing and a reduction in their quality of life |
Organic Solvent
Carbon based substances that are capable of dissolving or dispersing one or more other substances. They can affect the skin through direct contact or have respiratory affects from vapors.
Particulates
Fine solid particles that are suspended in air. Of special concern is the respirable portion, between 1-10 microns, that can be deposited in the lower lung.
Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL)
Occupational exposure limits published by OSHA.
Personal Air Sampling
Includes a series of methods to measure worker exposure to substance(s). May include direct reading instruments or the collection of the substances on a designated media with subsequent laboratory analysis.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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Relates only to hazards and their impact on personal safety risks. It is worn by people as a barrier between themselves and the hazard. The success of this control is dependent on the protective clothing and equipment being chosen correctly, as well as always fitted correctly and worn when required. |
Risk Control
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Taking action to eliminate health and safety risks so far as is reasonably practicable, and if that is not possible, minimising the risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Eliminating a hazard will also eliminate any risks associated with that hazard in the work or learning environment |
Routes of Entry
How a substance may enter the body. These include inhalation, ingestion, skin or eye contact, and injection.
Safety Data Sheet
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Safety Data Sheet (previously MSDS or Material Safety Data Sheet) – a document that provides information on the properties of hazardous chemicals under the GHS and how they affect health and safety in the workplace |
Sensitiser
A substance which after repeated exposure can cause skin and/or respiratory effects in allergic individuals.
Scrubber
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A scrubber (fume scrubber) is a device fitted to the fume cupboard exhaust duct designed to wash contaminants from the effluent fume, usually with water or aqueous solution. |
Short Term Exposure Limits and Ceiling Values
Occupational exposure standards for short term exposures usually 15 to 30 minutes.
SWMS
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Safe Work Method Statement – A form of safety statement used within the construction industry in Australia. It outlines all high-risk activities that will be carried out within a given workplace, as well as the associated hazards and the controls put in place to mitigate the risk to as low as reasonably practicable. These high-risk activities are formally referred to as high-risk construction work (HRCW). |
Vapor
Form that a gas or liquid takes when it evaporates into the air. Of greatest concern are organic petroleum products that from a vapor. A relative measure is vapor pressure.
Thermal Comfort
Threshold Limit Values (TLV)
Occupational exposure limits for substances and physical hazards published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, a non-governmental organization.
Time Weighted Average (TWA)
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Time weighted average (TWA) is the average workplace exposure to any hazardous contaminant or agent using the baseline of an 8 hour per day or 40 hours per week work schedule. The TWA reflects the maximum average exposure to such hazardous contaminants to which workers may be exposed without experiencing significant adverse health effects over the standardized eight-hour work period. |
Vapor
Form that a gas or liquid takes when it evaporates into the air. Of greatest concern are organic petroleum products that from a vapor. A relative measure is vapor pressure.
Ventilation
An engineering control designed to supply or exhaust air. Local exhaust is designed to remove contaminants at the source.
