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. Or maybe to make you look smarter or more important when they are printed on your name on your business card? They have become common place in the world of social media but can be misinterpreted eg the Mother who recently texted her son to say “Your Uncle just died, LOL” – she thought LOL meant “Lots Of Love”.
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. We took great delight in making up our own derogatory meanings for any acronym we didn’t understand. 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 dont 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.
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
- 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
- EHSR – Elected Health and Safety Representative
- ELCB – Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker
- ERT – Emergency Response Team
- FAI – First Aid Incident
- FIFR – Fatal Injury Frequency Rate
- HAZOP – Hazard and Operability
- HFA – Hazard Factor Assessment
- HIRA – Hazard Identification Risk Assessment
- HSC - Health and Safety Committee
- HSE – Health & Safety Excutive (UK)
- HSR – Health and Safety Representative
- 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
- LTFR – Lost Time Frequency Rate
- LTI – Lost Time Injury
- MSDS – Material Safety Data Sheet
- MTI – Medically Treated Incident
- NCSB - NIOSH Certification Sdn Bhd (Malaysia)
- NLTPHRW -National Licence To Perform High Risk Work
- NIOSH - National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Malaysia)
- NIOSH - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (US)
- NMI – Near Miss Incident
- NSCA – National Safety Council of Australia
- OFA – Occupational First Aid
- OHS – Occupational Health and Safety
- OHSAS - Occupational Health & Safety Assessment Series
- OHSC– Occupational Health and Safety Committee
- OSHA - Occupational Safety & Health Act (Malaysia)
- OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration (US)
- OSHMS - Occupational Safety and Health Management System
- 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.
- POCL – Pre Operation Check List
- PPE – Personal Protective Equipment
- PTW – Permit to Work
- RA – Risk Assessment
- RACE – Rescue, Activate alarm, Confine the fire, Evacuate/Extinguish
- RCD – Residual Current Device
- SFA – Senior First Aid
- SHE – Safety Health and Environment
- SHO - Safety and Health Officer (Malaysia)
- SHIT – Special High Intensity Training
- SHMP – Safety & Health Management Plan (action plan to implement the SHMS)
- SHMS – Safety & Health Management System
- SIA – Safety Institute of Australia (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)
- 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
- SWP – Safe Work Procedures, Safe Work Platform
- TRI – Total Recordable Injuries
- 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
