Some Commonly Used Definitions and Terminologies In EHS

Definitions 

 1) Safety - 

It is a condition which gives you freedom from Hazard ,Risk , Accident  which may cause injury , damage , and loss to material or property damage and even death.

2) Accident - 

It is an unexpected or unplanned event which may result in injury or damage or property loss or death. 

3) Hazard - 

It is defined as any event with potential to cause harm , ill health , injury ,damage to property ,plant ,product, environment, production losses or increased liability. 

 

4) Injury - 

 It is defined as harmful condition sustained by the body as result of an accident.

                                                                     or

Injury - Work Injury (Occupational) is defined as an Injury suffered by person , which arises out of and in the course of his employment. 

5) Risk - 

It is defined as likelihood of specific undesired event occurring within specified period or under specified circumstances. 

6) Incident - 

Incident for accident is defined as an unplanned event or series of events that has or could have cause injury to people or damage asset or environment or loss of reputation. 

7) Emergency- 

It is situation which presents threat to safety of person or land or to property. 

8) Environment- 

 As defined under section 2(a) of the Environment ( Protection) Act 1986 , It includes water ,air ,land  and the interrelationship which exist among and between water ,air , land and human beings ,other living creatures ,plants ,micro organism and property. 

9) Danger - 

It is degree of exposure to a hazard. 

10) Disaster- 

It is a catastrophic situation in which the day- today patterns of life are , in many instances , suddenly disrupted and people are plunged in to helplessness and sufferings and as a result need protection, clothing, shelter, medical ,social cure and other necessities of life. 

11) Industrial Health & Hygiene - 

It is connected with protection of manpower, asset from industrial illness ,diseases and other long term accidental effects caused by Industrial environment on human body. 

12) Labor Protection - 

It is defined as a system of legal acts and relevant socio-economic , technological and organizational measures ensuring safety and health ,accident prevention , industrial hygiene and fitness to work.

13) Loss - 

Loss in safety Includes :

-Injury ,Illness , Disease or death to a person

-Damage to property , equipment , material , cost of replacement or damaging environment 

-Time ,Money ,Material ,Production ,Sales etc. 

14)  Near Miss - 

It means any unplanned ,sudden event that could have caused injury to man ,materials ,environment or could have involved a loss of containment possibly giving rise to adverse effect but not resulted in such accident. 

15) Occupational Environment- 

It is sum of external condition and influences which prevail in the place of work & which have a bearing on tile health of the working population. 

16) Occupational Hygiene- 

It is modern specialization concern with assessing and controlling hazards from atmospheric contamination ,skin , or body absorption , radiation , noise. 

17) Practicable -

It is a legal terminology. 

"So far as is Practicable " - This means if something is practicable it should be done. 

" So far as is reasonably Practicable " - This can be a defense by an accused person that precautionary action was not reasonably practicable by him. 

" Best practicable Means"- It indicates a duty to comply with by taking the best measures available in the light of current knowledge and according to means and resources. 

18) Risk Analysis- 

It means to find out probability of Hazard occurring and then estimation of its consequences or effects and its severity.  It is quantitative.

19 ) Unsafe Act- It means either positive act i.e. Commission of act or negative act i.e Omission or failure to perform an act which prudent man should have done which results in Hazard, accident or Injury. 

20) Unsafe Condition - 

It means Existence of mechanical ,physical ,chemicals or environmental condition ,situation or state of affairs , which may cause hazard or accident. 

"S-A-F-E-T-Y"

S- Science for safety of self and society

A-  Art and action for accident avoidance 

F- Full Proof Safety with fail safe devices including system safety

E- Engineering Controls 

T - Teaching & Training 

Y - Young person & Young mind to for safety

References: 

1) Fundamentals of Industrial Safety and Health

 - By K.U. Mistry 

2) Industrial Safety ,Health and Environment Management System - By R.K. Jain , Sunil S. Rao 

3) WWW.Google.Com