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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Standardization: Standardized safety acronyms can help ensure that safety information is consistently communicated and understood across different organizations and industries.
- Recognition: Many safety acronyms have become widely recognized and used in various industries, which can help promote safety culture and awareness.
- 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:
- AART – Apply Advanced Resuscitation Techniques
- AFARP – As far as reasonably practical
- ALARA – As Low As Reasonably Achievable
- ALARP – As Low As Reasonably Practicable
- ASSE – American Society of Safety Engineers
- ASSP – American Society of Safety “Professionals”
- BBS – Behavioural Based Safety
- COP – Code of Practice
- CBT – Competency Based Training
- CIAED – Course In Automated External Defibrillation
- DGHS – Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Substances
- DIFR – Disabling Injury Frequency Rate
- DoL – Department of Labour NZ
- 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
- EHSR – Elected Health and Safety Representative
- ELCB – Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker
- EMP – Emergency Management Plan
- ERT – Emergency Response Team
- FAI – First Aid Incident
- FIFR – Fatal Injury Frequency Rate
- FIGJAM – F$%# I’m Good, Just Ask Me
- HAZOP – Hazard and Operability
- HFA – Hazard Factor Assessment
- HIRA – Hazard Identification Risk Assessment
- HSE – Health & Safety Executive UK
- HSR – Health and Safety Representative
- HSSE – Health, Safety, Security & Environment
- ISHR – Industry Safety & Health Representative
- JSA – Job Safety Analysis (risk assessment before starting work)
- JSEA – as for JSA but includes Environmental risks
- L2RA – Level Two Risk Assessment
- LOTO – lock out tag out
- LTFR – Lost Time Frequency Rate
- LTI – Lost Time Injury
- MSDS – Material Safety Data Sheet
- MTI – Medically Treated Incident
- NLTPHRW – National Licence To Perform High Risk Work
- NMI – Near Miss Incident
- NSC – National Safety Council
- NSCA – National Safety Council of Australia
- NSFW – Not Safe For Work
- OFA – Occupational First Aid
- OHS – Occupational Health and Safety
- OHSC– Occupational Health and Safety Committee
- OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration
- OHSMS – Occupational Health and Safety Management System
- PCBU – Person conducting a business or undertaking
- 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.
- PHP – Personal Hearing Protection
- POCL – Pre Operation Check List
- POWRA – Point of Work Risk Assessment
- PPE – Personal Protective Equipment
- PTW – Permit to Work
- RA – Risk Assessment
- RACE – Rescue, Activate alarm, Confine the fire, Evacuate/Extinguish
- RCA – Root Cause Analysis
- RCD – Residual Current Device
- SD – Safety Differently
- SFA – Senior First Aid
- SHE – Safety Health and Environment
- S4IT – Special High Intensity Training, Safety & Health Improvement Team
- SHMP – Safety & Health Management Plan (action plan to implement the SHMS)
- SHMS – Safety & Health Management System
- SIA – Safety Institute of Australia
- SIFR – Serious Injury Frequency Rate
- SINA – Safety Is No Accident
- SIT – Safety Improvement Team
- SMP – Safety management Plan
- SOP – Standard Operating Procedure (defined in Queensland mining legislation)
- SSOP Safe Standard Operating Procedure
- SSHR – Site Safety & Health Representative
- SWI – Safe (or Standard) Work Instruction – short summary of the SOP, usually one page, listing risks and risk controls.
- SWL – Safe Working Load
- SWMS – safe work method statement
- SWP – Safe Work Procedures, Safe Work Platform
- TRI – Total Recordable Injuries, Total Reportable Injuries
- TRIFR – Total Reportable Injury Frequency Rate
- TRIR – Total Recordable Injury Rate
- VRDs – Voltage Reduction Devices
- W@H – Work at Heights
- WAH – Work at Heights
- WHS – Workplace Health and Safety
- WHSO – Workplace Health and Safety Officer
- WICS – Work In Confined Space
- 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:
- STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Proceed. This acronym is used to remind workers to take a moment to assess their surroundings before starting a task.
- 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.
- FIRE: Find, Inform, Restrict, Extinguish. This acronym is used to help workers remember the steps to take in case of a fire emergency.
- RACE: Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish. This acronym is similar to FIRE, but it is specifically for use in healthcare facilities.
- 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.
- LOTO: Lockout/Tagout. This acronym refers to the procedure used to prevent accidental start-up of machinery or equipment during maintenance or repair.
- 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.
- 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.
Baidyanath Bhowmick says
What is the full form of S.R in construction safety documentation and its calculation??
Ghouse Mohammed Khan says
Increasing in Knowledge
Getting new Points
PhoeniX says
NLTPHRW – National Licence To Perform High Risk Work
can be shortened (as in use in WA) to
HRWL – High Risk Work Licence
or
HRL – High Risk Licence
Phoenix says
PTW – Permit to Work
despite this being the title of the form, in use on SWMS in WA :
WP – Work Permit, as Permit to Work
Rita Rumler says
I think there should be a standard across the field so everyone knows & understands Instead of missing the main point by being focused on working out the acronym.
Admin says
Safety should be inclusive rather than exclusive – it’s quickly becoming irrelevant
Rita Rumler says
What does PRESENT stand for in WHS?
Admin says
No idea sorry
Rob Long says
The more one speaks in codes of acronyms the more one endorses the mythology of professionalism, that is the attraction.
Aurora Salinas says
trying to figure out what MSRA stand for, for existing machines?
Jawad says
Method statement & Risk Assessment
Donna Bradley says
I agree with this being confusing and silly. With all the big corporations ‘inventing’ their own in-house lists and acronyms for the same stuff only makes it more difficult to understand.
Safety is for everyone and it should be easy as possible, yet there is a pervasive culture of elitism creeping in where it is not wanted.
The latest additions to this ludicrosity is that the key words are not even featured within the acronym, as this example ISSMEC.
You are now expected to remember what is to be Set, without even an initial to help you out with Procedures or Accountability!
Dave Collins says
Great point about elitism – this stuff also just encourages parrot learning with no understanding of the underlying methodology
willem says
ISSMEC WSTF DOES IT MEAN
Dave Collins says
More dumb rubbish to confuse and create the illusion of safety and control: Identify, Set procedures, Set accountability, Measure, Evaluate and Control