Copy of `J. Gilbertson - Health and safety glossary`

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J. Gilbertson - Health and safety glossary Category: Agriculture and Industry > Health and Safety Sound Date & country: 12/11/2007, UK Words: 1069

Soft System
A system comprising of mainly abstract things, thus strongly dependant upon the perceptions of the observer.

Sole Plates
Long boards placed under the base plates of standards whose purpose is to evenly distribute the weight of the scaffold.

Solid Adsorber
Sampling head comprising a glass tube containing an adsorbent material such as powdered charcoal or silicon gel. The material effectively adsorbs vapours from the air passing over it and after sampling the tube is sealed and sent for analysis.

Solvent Scrubbing
Alternative name for Liquid Adsorption.

Sound
Any pressure variation (in air, water or other medium) which is detectable by the human ear.

Sound Power Level
A measure of the total acoustic power produced at the noise source.

Sound Pressure Level
The basic measure of noise, at a distance from the noise source, expressed in decibels usually measured with a frequency weighting eg dB(A).

Special Damages
Compensation consisting of calculable damages generally prior to a case being heard which include legal and medical expenses, loss of earnings and costs of adjustments to lifestyle.

Specific Gravity
The weight of a liquid relative to water, values of less than one indicate that a material will float on water.

Spectrophotometry
A technique used for measuring or comparing the absorbencies of solutions, gases or vapours. A monochromatic beam of light is passed through a sample which may transmit or absorb or scatter the light in some way. The remaining light is measured as an output by a photometer.

SPL
Sound Pressure Level.

Spontaneous Combustion
A condition manifesting in certain materials (especially organic materials) which react with oxygen at room temperature and produce heat. If the fuel is a good insulator the heat generated builds up until the autoignition temperature is reached and true combustion commences.

Spontaneous IgnitionTemperature
See Autoignition Temperature.

Spurios Trip
A fault which causes a system to activate when not required.

Stability
Relating to fire resisting properties â€` the ability of a structure to resist collapse for a specified period of time when exposed to fire.

Stack Effect
Method of ventilating a building using the principles of convection. Heated air inside the building is discharged through a chimney (stack) and cool outside air is drawn in through windows or vents to replace it.

Stain Tube Detector
A proprietary device comprising a chemical reagent housed in a glass tube. Air is drawn through the tube by means of a pump and any contaminant in the atmosphere causes the reagent to change colour. The length of colour stain in the tube is proportional to the concentration of contaminant in the atmosphere.

Standard
The long upright metal poles which constitute the vertical structure of a scaffold.

Standby System
A reliability engineering technique involving the installation of a secondary unit which activates upon the failure of the primary unit.

Static Pressure
The difference between the absolute pressure at a point in an airstream or pressurised chamber and the absolute pressure at ambient temperature (ie the bursting pressure).

Statute Law
A source of law in the form of a codified, written structure laying down formal rules to be observed by those to whom the statute is expressly or implicitly addressed. The laws are interpreted by the courts and such interpretations are binding on lower courts. Breaches of statute are normally, but not always, concerned with criminal law. For instance the Occupier`s Liability Acts give rights in civil law only. A breach of statutory duty may also give rise to civil liability unless the statute specifically excludes it.

Statutory Duty
Duty placed upon an individual by an Act of Parliament or Regulation.

Statutory Instrument (SI)
Official description given to subsidiary or delegated legislation which puts in effect specific duties which are described in general terms in the parent Act, eg SI 1992 no 3073 The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992.

Statutory Nuisance
One specified by statute for which there are specified courses of action by either an individual or an enforcement authority.

STEL
Short term exposure limit.

Stereotype
An expectation held by most of the population of either a person or situation.

Stimulus Response Learning
Lower order state of learning in which the learner exhibits behaviour directly related to a specific stimulus. See Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning.

Stipendiary Magistrate
A Magistrate who is a qualified barrister or solicitor appointed to try cases in the Magistrates Court. Such persons are paid (a stipend) for their services and have the equivalent power of three lay magistrates.

Stoichiometric Mixture
That mixture of fuel and oxidising agent (vapour/gas) which will combust completely. For hydrocarbon fuels in air, that mixture which combusts completely to produce carbon dioxide and water. There will be no fuel or oxygen remaining eg CH4+ + 2O2 ? CO2 + 2H2O is a stoichiometric mixture; 1 part methane to 2 parts oxygen.

Stokes Behaviour
The streamlined flow of smaller particles whose resistance in air is proportional to the diameter of the particle and its velocity.

Strain1
Is the measure of the change in shape (or size) of a material when a force is applied in tension or compression. Strain = Change in length Original length

Strain2
The physical or psychological manifestation of the effects of being exposed to stress. Symptoms may include behaviour changes or changes in personality.

Stress1
Mechanical stress is the measure of the force applied to a body or component divided by the area over which the force is applied. Stress = Force Cross Sectional Area

Stress2
An event or situation which places increased demand upon a person`s mental or emotional resources. Sources of stress may be occupational or domestic/social each has the ability to be either stimulating or harmful. See Strain2.

Strict Liability
Liability for an occurrence which does not require proof of mens rea only the actus reus needs be shown. The burden of proof rests with the defendant.

Stroboscopic Effects
A phenomenon more usually associated with older lighting systems where the frequency of oscillations in light output is a multiple of the frequency of the movement of machinery. The visual illusion of stillness is created.

Sub-system
An identifiable element of a system which has all the characteristics of a system in its own right.

Subjective Measures
Performance measures that are (or may be) influenced by the observer ie personal judgement may be subject to experience, knowledge or other influence.

Subordinate Legislation
See Regulation.

Substance Hazardous to Health
Defined by regulations as one which is very toxic, toxic, irritant, harmful or corrosive; carcinogens; dust of any kind in substantial concentrations; micro-organisms; and anything similar to the above.

Substandard Act
A term offered by Frank Bird in an attempt to objectify and define a measurable component of an unsafe act.

Substandard Condition
A term offered by Frank Bird in an attempt to objectify and define a measurable component of an unsafe condition.

Substitution
A control measure employed when elimination is impossible which substitutes a hazardous material for a less hazardous one, to substitute the state or form of the same substance for one which gives rise to less exposure.

Sue
The act of pursuing a legal claim in civil law.

Suitable and Sufficient
Often used concept in goal setting legislation which will ultimately be for the courts to decide. Broken down the word suitable suggests appropriate (in all the circumstances) for the purpose; and sufficient suggests of the right quantity, or going into enough detail to achieve compliance. Suitable and sufficient work equipment would imply the provision of the right tools, of the right quality, in sufficient quantities to enable work to be carried out safely.

Summary Dismissal
A situation where the employer terminates the employee`s contract of employment without notice. In order to justify the use of this tactic the employee must be in breach of an important express or implied term of the contract such as gross misconduct.

Summary Offence
Less serious criminal offence normally tried in the Magistrates Court. Penalties are limited by statute (see s33 HASAWA).

Survey
See Safety Survey.

Susceptibility
The predisposition of a person to suffer a particular effect from exposure to a workplace condition or substance.

Synergy
Interaction between two or more components of a system which produces an output greater than that anticipated from the single addition of the individual outputs.

System
An assembly of component parts connected together in an organised way for the purpose of doing something. The components are affected by being in the system and the behaviour of the system changes if they leave it. See Hard System, Soft System, Open System and Closed System.

System (electrical)
See Electrical System.

Systematic
An organised, structured way of doing something.

Systemic
An analytical or investigative approach which considers a system as a whole with emergent properties.

Systemic Effects (health)
The action of a chemical or biological agent at a site remote from the point of contact after the substance has been absorbed.

Target Organ
The primary site of attack in the human body of a particular chemical or substance.

Task Culture
A style of organisational behaviour offered by Charles Handy which describes a lively, ad-hoc, versatile approach oriented to the task.

Taylor (Frederick W)
Management guru of the early 1900`s who was a proponent of the school of scientific management.

Technical File
A collection of specified information and documentation listed in a product directive which includes: drawings, test results, calculations, a list of the relevant essential health and safety requirements and EU standards. The technical file need not exist per se, but must be capable of being assembled at the request of the enforcement authority.

Temporary Threshold Shift
A temporary condition of hearing loss occurring immediately after exposure to high noise levels. See Permanent Threshold Shift.

Teratogen
A substance which if inhaled, ingested or penetrates the skin, may involve a risk of subsequent non-hereditable birth defects in offspring.

Terminal Velocity
The constant velocity of a particle falling freely in still air achieved when the force exerted by gravity is equal to the resistance imposed by the air.

Thermal Conductivity Detector
In sample analysis, uses a hot wire or a thermistor as the sensing device. The readout is based upon the heat transfer from the hot filament to a cooler surface as the gas conducts heat from the filament to the wall. The amount of electrical energy supplied to the filament remains constant so any change in temperature (of the filament) will be a function of the thermal conductivity of the gas and its concentration.

Thermal Runaway
Heat production at a rate which exceeds the ability to provide cooling. It can occur in a reaction because: as the temperature increases, the rate at which heat is removed increases linearly, but the rate at which heat is produced increases exponentially. Temperature can rise rapidly with little time for correction.

Thermoluminescent Material
Irradiated material which releases light in proportion to the ionising radiation absorbed when it is subsequently heated.

THERP
Techniques for Human Error Rate Prediction â€` the objective is to predict human error probabilities in order to evaluate their effect on the operating system as a whole.

Third Party
A person not employed by an organisation but who interacts with it in some way, eg a contractor, member of the public, lawful visitor or even trespasser.

Thoracic Dust
Dust of less than 10 microns in diameter which will escape the filtering effects of the nose and mouth and reach into the lungs. See Total Inhalable Dust and Respirable Dust.

Threshold Limit Value
USA equivalent to our occupational exposure limits often referred to in hazard or chemical data sheets, (especially imports from USA). Warning not UK currency.

Through Tie
A method of fixing a scaffold to a permanent or existing structure which relies on a tube placed vertically inside a window opening and fixed to the scaffold outside by means of a tie tube.

Time Weighted Average
The average concentration of airborne contaminant measured over a normal 8 hour workday and 40 hour work week to which nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed, day after day, without adverse effect.

Tinnitus
Involuntary sensation of noises in the ear such as buzzing or ringing, often associated with exposure to high noise levels.

TLV
Threshold Limit Value.

Toe Board
A board fixed at the lip of a working platform intended to prevent the falls of materials over the edge of the platform.

Tolerable Risk
A level of risk which is deliberately run for the benefit which is gained from running it. See also Acceptable Risk and Unacceptable Risk.

TOR
Technique of Operations Review.

Tort
A civil wrong for which the remedy is a common law action for unliquidated damages, and which is not exclusively the breach of a contract or the breach of a trust or other merely equitable obligation.

Tortfeasor
The person responsible for committing the tort.

Total Inhalable Dust
Dust of less than 100 microns diameter capable of entering the nose and mouth during normal breathing, (Source BSEN 481). See Thoracic Dust and Respirable Dust.

Tour
See Safety Tour.

Tower Crane
These feature heavily on the skylines of most cities and are constructed in situ from prefabricated sections. The long jib is counterbalanced by cantilevers or concrete blocks.

Toxic
A designation given to a substance which presents a serious hazard to health which is able to produce injury at a site in or on the body.

Toxicology
The study of the nature and action of poisons.

Training
A planned systematic process designed to modify attitude, knowledge, skill or behaviour through learning. See On the Job and Off the Job Training.

Transom
The metal pole set between the outer ledger and the inner ledger of a scaffold which supports the working platform.

Transport Velocity
The velocity of air flowing through a local exhaust ventilation system required to keep an airborne contaminant in suspension until it reaches the air cleaning device.

Transposed Harmonised Standards
A EU standard which has been agreed by CEN and identically worded throughout the member states in order to ensure that no state can block the importation of products meeting that standard.

Travel Distance
The actual distance a person must travel between any point in a building and the nearest door to a protected route or a final exit in the event of fire.

Trend Analysis
Visual representation of accident performance over a period of time, typically over monthly, quarterly and yearly periods. Conclusions drawn from the patterns illustrated should take account of any variables during the period under review such as number of hours worked, changes in staffing levels, production levels etc.

Trespass
A type of tort. See Trespass to Land, Trespass to Goods and Trespass to Person.

Trespass to Goods
The unlawful physical interference with another person`s goods.

Trespass to Land
The unlawful entry, remaining, or deposit of a material object(s) on another person`s land.

Trespass to Person
The assault, battery or false imprisonment of a person.

Trespasser
A person who has no lawful right to be in the place they are.

Tribunal
See Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Trip Device
A protective device which detects the presence or entry of a person into the danger zone and cuts power to the machine eg antenna, pressure sensitive mat, photo-electric beam etc.

Turnbull Report
Report of a working party led by Nigel Turnbull giving guidance on risk management, internal control and corporate governance for companies listed in the Stock Exchange. Now considered universally applicable (in principle) to any company seeking to improve its risk management.

TWA
Time Weighted Average.

Two Handed Control
A protective device which requires a machine operator to activate two start controls simultaneously before the machine will operate, the object being to keep the operator`s hands out of the danger zone.

Tyndall Beam
A very strong light source which presents an effective method of showing up the dispersion in atmosphere of respirable dust or fume not normally visible to the naked eye.