Safety Acronyms

Health and Safety Acronyms (HSA’s)

See also: Deciphering Safety Codes

As we all know, acronyms are shorter forms of words or phrases that are useful when you need to repeat the same word or phrase a number of times throughout the same piece of writing.

Rather than encourage trust and inclusion, Safety seems determined to encourage exclusion with its crazy language. See: Making Safety Language Meaningful

Apart from in the IT industry, the safety world seems to have more three-letter acronyms (TLA’s) than any other. I hear new ones every day, they roll easily off the tongue and those in the game spit them out assuming we all know what they mean. But, most of us are too proud to admit our ignorance and slink off to google it on the iPhone. As a lad we took great delight in making up our own derogatory meanings for any acronym we didn’t understand (“Backronyms”). Then there was our under performing Safety Health Improvement Team (took ages for the boss to wake up to that one). I’ve taken to always asking what a TLA means – its amazing how many people using them don’t even know!

I couldn’t find any web page or resource devoted to Safety Acronyms so I decided to start one and hope it helps – PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTRIBUTE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

Safety Terminology Management

extract from an article by ASSP on Health and Safety Terminology:  Safety & Health TERMINOLOGY MANAGEMENT

All professions and organizations use specialized words and expressions to communicate conceptual meaning and context to stakeholders. These specialized designations are called terms. Terminology is the word designation for the collection and study of terms. Terminology management is the process of identifying, evaluating, organizing, communicating, and controlling terms and their specialized meanings. The process applied to an organization’s occupational safety and health concepts comprises its safety terminology management program.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The concepts encapsulated in terms that organizations use to convey their safety and health values and systems can be confounded, misunderstood and misapplied by conceptual noise from different sources. Conceptual noise is the ambiguity resulting from unclear, inconsistent, competing, or contradictory verbal and written communications.

Organizations need to systematically identify, eliminate or control such conceptual noise sources to ensure workforce understanding, acceptance and usage.

A safety terminology management program is the management system for achieving these objectives.

More Safety Jargon, Safety Acronym and Safety Talk Articles and Resources which may cause you to rethink your discourse:

• Weasel Words in Safety – by George Robotham
• They’re Only Words….Aren’t They? – by Rob Sams
• Jargon Killed the Astronauts – by Phil LaDuke
• WHS Harmonisation Jargon – by The Safety Nerd
• OHS and WHS ACRONYMS – Our list of safety acronyms and their meaning (well some of them)
• The Crazy Words of Health and Safety – by Mark Taylor
• The Workers Compensation Discourse – by James Ellis
• How Can I Get The Boss To Listen – by Sheri Suckling
• Your Safety Talk Matters – by Rob Long
• Jargon-less Safety Talk

Some benefits of using safety acronyms:

There are many safety acronyms used in various industries and contexts because they serve as a quick and easy way to communicate important safety information. Here are some reasons why safety acronyms are commonly used:

1. Easy to remember: Acronyms are often made up of the first letter of each word in a phrase or concept, making them easy to remember and recall.
2. Concise communication: Safety acronyms can convey complex safety concepts and guidelines in a concise manner. This can be especially useful in emergency situations where time is of the essence.
3. Standardization: Standardized safety acronyms can help ensure that safety information is consistently communicated and understood across different organizations and industries.
4. Recognition: Many safety acronyms have become widely recognized and used in various industries, which can help promote safety culture and awareness.
5. Compliance: In some cases, safety acronyms are required by regulatory agencies or industry-specific standards to ensure compliance with safety regulations and guidelines.

Overall, safety acronyms are a useful tool for promoting safety awareness and compliance in various industries and contexts. By providing a concise and standardized way to communicate important safety information, they help to promote safe practices and reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.

Here are a few Safety Acronyms to get the ball rolling and hopefully the list will grow over time:

1. AART – Apply Advanced Resuscitation Techniques
2. ACM – Asbestos Containing Material
3. AFARP – As far as reasonably practical
4. ALARA – As Low As Reasonably Achievable
5. ALARP – As Low As Reasonably Practicable
6. ASSE – American Society of Safety Engineers
7. ASSP – American Society of Safety “Professionals”
8. BBS – Behavioural Based Safety – also known by people it is done to as BS
9. COP – Code of Practice
10. CBT – Competency Based Training
11. CIAED – Course In Automated External Defibrillation
12. DGHS – Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Substances
13. DIFR – Disabling Injury Frequency Rate
14. DoL – Department of Labour NZ
15. EHS, EHSQ – This time, adding the E in there means “Environment” and the Q for “Quality”. This adds a layer of environmental considerations to workplace health and safety. When you see this then you know its about systems rather than people
16. EHSR – Elected Health and Safety Representative
17. ELCB – Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker
18. EMP – Emergency Management Plan
19. ERT – Emergency Response Team
20. FAI – First Aid Incident
21. FIFR – Fatal Injury Frequency Rate
22. FIGJAM – F$%# I’m Good, Just Ask Me
23. HAZOP – Hazard and Operability
24. HFA – Hazard Factor Assessment
25. HIRA – Hazard Identification Risk Assessment
26. HOP – Human and Organisational Performance
27. HSE – Health & Safety Executive UK
28. HSR – Health and Safety Representative
29. HSSE – Health, Safety, Security & Environment
30. IOSH – Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
31. ISHR – Industry Safety & Health Representative
32. JSA – Job Safety Analysis (risk assessment before starting work)
33. JSEA – as for JSA but includes Environmental risks
34. L2RA – Level Two Risk Assessment
35. LOTO – lock out tag out
36. LTIFR – Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate
37. LTI – Lost Time Injury
38. MSDS – Material Safety Data Sheet
39. MTI – Medically Treated Incident
40. NLTPHRW – National Licence To Perform High Risk Work
41. NMI – Near Miss Incident
42. NSC – National Safety Council
43. NSCA – National Safety Council of Australia
44. NSFW – Not Safe For Work
45. OFA – Occupational First Aid
46. OHS – Occupational Health and Safety
47. OHSC– Occupational Health and Safety Committee
48. OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration
49. OHSMS – Occupational Health and Safety Management System
50. PCBU – Person conducting a business or undertaking
51. PHMP – Principal Hazard Management Plan – defined term in Qld coal mining legislation. A Principal Hazard is one capable of causing multiple fatalities. No coal mine in Qld can start without a PHMP for all PHs relevant to its operations.
52. PHP – Personal Hearing Protection
53. POCL – Pre Operation Check List
54. POWRA – Point of Work Risk Assessment
55. PPE – Personal Protective Equipment
56. PTW – Permit to Work
57. RA – Risk Assessment
58. RACE – Rescue, Activate alarm, Confine the fire, Evacuate/Extinguish
59. RCA – Root Cause Analysis
60. RCD – Residual Current Device
61. SD – Safety Differently
62. SFA – Senior First Aid
63. SHE – Safety Health and Environment
64. S4IT – Special High Intensity Training, Safety & Health Improvement Team
65. SHMP – Safety & Health Management Plan (action plan to implement the SHMS)
66. SHMS – Safety & Health Management System
67. SIA – Safety Institute of Australia
68. SIFR – Serious Injury Frequency Rate
69. SINA – Safety Is No Accident
70. SIT – Safety Improvement Team
71. SMP – Safety management Plan
72. SOP – Standard Operating Procedure (defined in Queensland mining legislation)
73. SSOP Safe Standard Operating Procedure
74. SSHR – Site Safety & Health Representative
75. SWI – Safe (or Standard) Work Instruction – short summary of the SOP, usually one page, listing risks and risk controls.
76. SWL – Safe Working Load
77. SWMS – safe work method statement
78. SWP – Safe Work Procedures, Safe Work Platform
79. TRI – Total Recordable Injuries, Total Reportable Injuries
80. TRIFR – Total Reportable Injury Frequency Rate
81. TRIR – Total Recordable Injury Rate
82. VRDs – Voltage Reduction Devices
83. W@H – Work at Heights
84. WAH – Work at Heights
85. WHS – Workplace Health and Safety
86. WHSO – Workplace Health and Safety Officer
87. WICS – Work In Confined Space
88. WMS – Work Method Statement

Safety acronyms are used to help people remember important safety tips or procedures in a simple and memorable way. Here are some common safety acronyms:

1. STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Proceed. This acronym is used to remind workers to take a moment to assess their surroundings before starting a task.
2. PPE: Personal Protective Equipment. This acronym refers to the gear worn by workers to protect them from hazards, such as safety glasses, hard hats, gloves, and safety shoes.
3. FIRE: Find, Inform, Restrict, Extinguish. This acronym is used to help workers remember the steps to take in case of a fire emergency.
4. RACE: Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish. This acronym is similar to FIRE, but it is specifically for use in healthcare facilities.
5. MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet. This acronym refers to the document that contains information about the hazards of a particular substance and how to safely handle it.
6. LOTO: Lockout/Tagout. This acronym refers to the procedure used to prevent accidental start-up of machinery or equipment during maintenance or repair.
7. CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. This acronym is used to refer to the emergency medical procedure used to revive someone who has stopped breathing or whose heart has stopped.
8. OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This acronym refers to the federal agency that oversees workplace safety and health in the United States.

Remember, safety acronyms can be a helpful tool for remembering important safety procedures or tips. By using them regularly, you can help promote a culture of safety in your workplace or community.