Health and Safety Level 3 Ag/Hort: Glossary

GLOSSARY

Accident An undesired event resulting in death, injury, or damage to health

Acute Immediate effect

Agriculture in the current context includes, farming, arboriculture, horticulture, fish farming and of increasing significance, with the introduction of public “rights to roam” legislation, amenity use of the countryside. Over half a million people currently work in this industry

Allergen Substance causing an adverse (usually to lungs or skin) reaction in a person who is sensitive to that substance

Appointed Person A person who has been nominated to take charge in the event of an accident, fire or illness.

Approved Code of Practice A code of practice, associated with specific regulations, that has been approved by the Health & Safety Commission, that has power like the Highway Code

Asbestos Magnesium silicate in fibrous form responsible for 2000 deaths a year in UK from mesothelioma cancer of the lining of the lungs. There are other cancers associtaed too.

Awarding Body is national organisation with powers to accedit and award qualifications.

Carcinogen Substance that causes cancer

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome A chronic disorder of the hand and wrist often due to repetitive work involving repeated wrist flexion or extension

Chronic Occurring over a period of time

Code of Practice Rules established by regulatory bodies or trade associations, which are intended as a guide to acceptable behaviour. As such they do not have the force of law behind them

Common Law "Judge-made" law that is not written in statute

Communicate invovles transfer of knowledge and information in written, spoken - or any new, way.

Competent Person A person who is appropriately trained, qualified, experienced and skilled to undertake specific health and safety duties suchas a risk assessment

Compliance The act or process of fulfilling requirements

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) promoting safe working with potentially hazardous chemicals

Designated Person A person who has been designated as a first aider at work and has been trained to have the knowledge and confidence to deal with any first aid emergency (See Appointed Person)

Dose The amount of substance to which a person is exposed in terms of the concentration of the substance and the time period during which the exposure occurs

Duty of Care. Your employer has a 'duty of care' to ensure, as far as possible, your health, safety and welfare while you're at work.

Ergonomics The science and technology of designing equipment, tools, work tasks to fit people.

Good Practices are those based on experience which reduce risks. They are not soley technical as the essential part is people carrying them out.

Hazard Any substance or object with the potential for harmful effects

Health And Safety Executive UK Organisation responsible for proposing and enforcing safety statutes, regulations, approved codes of practice and guidance.Illuminance A measure of the amount of light falling on a particular point, measured in Lux

Improvement Notice A statutory notice that is issued by an authorising body such as Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Environmental Health Officer (EHO) or Fire Officer on discovery of a breach of statute. It states the offence committed, what action needs to be taken and the time deadline to take action.

Incident (or Near Miss) An event that did not cause harm but which might have done so under different circumstances

Ingestion Taking a substance into the body through the mouth, e.g. food or drink

Inhalation Taking a substance into the body by breathing it in, e.g. gases, fumes, vapours, mists, aerosols or dusts,

Inspection can range from an informal check of present circumstances to a legal right for safety representatives to carry out every 3 months.

Instruction entails telling somebody what to do, and is a legal duty on employees to provide whatever information, instruction, training and supervision is necessary to ensure - so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of employees.

Investigation can follow an accident, near miss or other manifestation that something may be going wrong (eg ill health) and seeks to find out the cause.

Irritant A substance that produces inflammation when it makes contacts with the skin, eyes, nose, or respiratory system

Material Data Safety Sheet Contain information on the hazards associated with a chemical, along with guidance on its safe use

Negligence Either 1) omission to do something that a reasonable person would do or 2) commission of some act that a prudent and reasonable person would not do.

Persistence Remaining for an extended period of time. Applicable to some chemicals (e.g. PCBs) that do not easily break down into less hazardous substances

Parts Per Million (ppm) Specifies the concentration by volume of a substance dispersed in another substance

Permit to Work Formally delivered criteria, usually through written procedures, for control/risk reduction when undertaking pre-planned work that is so hazardous it cannot be controlled in any other way.

Policy A legally required statement of an organisation’s strategy for achieving a safe and healthy working environment and the responsibility, organisation and arrangements for enacting it.

Procedures are written or verbal directions on the steps to take to deal with any given hazardous situation.

Prohibition Notice A statutory notice to stop an activity from starting or to cause it to cease. It can be issued by Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Environmental Health Officer (EHO) or Fire Officer.

Regulation Regulations are approved by parliament and are generally absolute legal standards.

Reasonably Practicable is the phrase used throughout Health and Safety Act 1974 that: "implies that a computation must be made by the employer in which the quantum of risk is placed on one scale and the sacrifice in the measures necessary to avert the risk (whether in money, time or trouble) is placed in the other." Edwards v NCB 1949.

Risk is the "likelihood of the hazard's potential being realised". Risk refers to potential to cause damage to people.

Risk Assessment A formal estimation, legally required for every workplace, of the likelihood that persons may suffer injury or adverse health effects as a result of identified hazards

Risk Management The introduction of change or control measures with the intention of eliminating or bringing the level of risk associated with a hazard within acceptable limits

Safe System of Work A method of working designed to eliminate, if possible, or otherwise reduce risks to health and safety

Safety Committee A committee that promotes health and safety in the workplace, with members representing employees and management from all sections of an organisation. Standards are outlined in Safety Representatives & Safety Committee Regulations 1977

Safety Culture is the way an organisation controls, co-operates and communicates safe and healthy work practices that staff are competent enought to carry out.

Stress When an event or situation places increased demand on mental or emotional resources beyond capacity leading to health and safety related problems such as depression, cardiovascular disease, and musculo-skeletal disorders.

Toxic Substances cause irritation or are otherwise harmful to health, such as carcinogens and poisons

Vocationally Related Qualification is a nationally recognised award or certificate that is related to work. There are a number of VRQs for health and safety.

Volatility Ability of a substance to evaporate

Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) Concentration of a substance that, if not exceeded, will not normally result in significant adverse effects to persons who are exposed