Health and Safety at Work: Key Terms

Jeremy Stranks

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2002
• eBook ISBN: 9781136399688
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Health and Safety at Work: Key Terms provides instant information to readers on a range of key terms used in health and safety at work. The book, produced in A-Z format, incorporates the principal legal, technical and practical terms derived from statutes, regulations, approved codes, case law and other appropriate publications. As such, it will be of particular use to health and safety practitioners, those studying for degrees in occupational health and safety and courses run by NEBOSH, and those engaged in enforcement activities, such as Health and Safety Executive inspectors, environmental health officers and fire protection officers. The key terms referenced and explained include: accident statistics; absolute duties; distance guard; noise-induced hearing loss; oxidising classifications; relevant statutory provisions.

H

DOI: 10.4324/9780080507958-8

haemolysis The action of haemolytic toxins which are capable of breaking down red blood cells.

haemolytic poison Poisons, such as arsine, which destroy the red cells of the blood, resulting in excretion of the destroyed red cells and a loss of their function.

half-life The time required for one half of a quantity of radionuclide to disintegrate, an indication of the time a radioactive substance will continue to emit radiation until decay takes place.

hand protection This includes gloves and gauntlets, principally concerned with protecting the hand from injuries, such as cuts, abrasions and burns, and those arising during manual handling operations and in extremes of temperature.

harm Harm to the health of living organisms or other interference with the ecological systems of which they form part and, in the case of man, includes offence caused to any of his senses or harm to his property.

(Environmental Protection Act 1990)

harmful Substances and preparations which may cause death or acute or chronic damage to health when inhaled, swallowed or absorbed via the skin.

[Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 1994]

hazard (1A1) Something with the potential to cause harm. This can include substances or machines, methods of work and other aspects of work organization.

The result of a departure from the normal situation, which has the potential to cause death, injury, damage or loss.

Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOPS) (2A1) The application of a formal critical examination of the process and engineering intentions of new facilities to assess the hazard potential from incorrect operation or malfunction of individual items of equipment, and the consequential effects on the facility as a whole.

This technique is applied in the assessment of potential hazards from new installations and processes. HAZOPS is used extensively in high risk industries, such as the chemical industry, and in chemical engineering applications.

hazard effects (1A1) The anticipated effects arising from exposure to hazards, such as death, injury or disease.

hazard identification and evaluation (1A1) The identification of hazards and the evaluation of the risks arising from such hazards. It entails the identification of every form of hazard and devising means for eliminating, preventing or controlling exposure.

hazardous area classification (2C2) See zoning .

hazardous substances Hazardous substances and preparations are classified according to their category of danger under the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) (CHIP) Regulations 1994.

Classification is on the basis of:

• physico-chemical properties – explosive, oxidizing, extremely flammable, highly flammable, flammable;
• health effects – very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive, irritant, sensitizing, carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic for reproduction;
• dangerous for the environment.

Certain substances may have a double classification, e.g. ‘toxic’ and ‘flammable’. See Tables H.1 and H.2, and individual entries.

hazard rating A technique of hazard evaluation taking into account the frequency of the hazard arising multiplied by three factors, namely the severity of injury arising, the maximum possible loss (MPL) and the probability of the hazard arising. MPL and probability are measured on a scale from 1 to 50.

Hazard Rating = Frequency × (Severity + MPL + Probability)

Other techniques for rating hazards are used in addition to the technique outlined above.

hazard survey A review of all processes, methods and systems of work, taking into account:

• the exposure of employees and others, e.g. members of the public to risks;
• the value of the workplace, plant, machinery and equipment in economic and financial terms;
• the value of the process with regard to its interdependence with other processes;
• any inherent fire, explosion or other risk associated with any stage of the manufacturing operation.

head protection This form of protection includes:

• safety helmets – to protect the head from falling objects and overhead hazards;
• industrial scalp protectors (bump caps) – to protect against striking fixed obstacles, scalping or entanglement;
• caps and hair nets – to prevent the hair from coming into contact with moving machinery or parts of machinery.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – Duties (1B2) This is the principal statute dealing with occupational health and safety. It covers all persons at work except domestic workers in private employment and extends to the prevention of risks to the health and safety of the general public.

The principal requirements are:

Hazardous substances – hazard warning symbols, as required by the CHIP 2 Regulations

Category of danger	Symbol letter	Indication of danger	Symbol
Explosive	E	Explosive
Oxidizing	O	Oxidizing
Extremely flammable	F+	Extremely flammable
Highly flammable	F	Highly flammable
Flammable
Very toxic (very poisonous)	T+	Very toxic
Toxic	T	Toxic
Harmful	Xn	Harmful
Corrosive	C	Corrosive
Irritant	XI	Irritant
Carcinogenic Categories 1 and 2	T	Toxic
Category 3 (may cause cancer)	Xn	Harmful
Mutagenic Category 1	T	Toxic
Categories 2 and 3 (may cause mutation)	Xn	Harmful
Teratogenic Category 1	T	Toxic
Category 2 (may cause monstrosities)	Xn	Harmful
Dangerous for the environment	N	Dangerous for the environment

1 As further described in the Approved Classification and Labelling Guid...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• List of Figures
• Contents
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• XYZ
• Bibliography and Further Reading