Workplace Safety Glossary: 60+ Terms Defined in Plain English (2026) | SafetyRegulatory.com — Workplace Safety Certifications, Training & Careers

This content is for informational purposes only. It isn’t legal advice and doesn’t create any professional relationship. Always verify requirements with OSHA, your state agency, or a qualified safety professional.

Most workplace safety terms sound more complicated than they are. OSHA and the safety industry love acronyms, and that can make simple ideas hard to follow. This glossary breaks down 60+ safety terms into plain English so you actually know what people are talking about on the job site, in training, or during an inspection.

Terms are listed A through W. If you’re studying for your OSHA 10 or OSHA 30, this is a solid reference to keep open.

A

Abatement

Fixing a hazard that OSHA cited you for. When OSHA issues a citation, they give you a deadline to correct the problem. That correction is abatement. You have to send proof that you fixed it, or you’ll face additional penalties.

Administrative Controls

Ways to reduce hazard exposure by changing how work gets done, not by removing the hazard itself. Examples include rotating workers to limit exposure time, scheduling loud work when fewer people are around, or adding more breaks during heat. Administrative controls sit in the middle of the hierarchy of controls.

ANSI (American National Standards Institute)

The organization that sets voluntary standards for safety equipment and practices in the U.S. ANSI doesn’t write laws, but OSHA often adopts ANSI standards as the basis for regulations. When your hard hat says “ANSI Z89.1,” that’s the performance standard it meets.

Authorized Person

Someone the employer has approved to do a specific task in a hazardous area. This isn’t just anyone on the crew. An authorized person has the training and clearance to enter a confined space, operate specific equipment, or perform lockout/tagout. The term has a specific legal meaning under OSHA rules.

B

BBS (Behavior-Based Safety)

A safety approach that focuses on watching and correcting worker behavior rather than just fixing physical hazards. BBS programs track unsafe actions, give feedback, and use data to spot patterns. Some safety pros swear by it. Others argue it puts too much blame on workers instead of fixing bad systems.

BCSP (Board of Certified Safety Professionals)

The organization that credentials safety professionals. They issue the CSP, ASP, and other safety certifications. If you’re building a safety career, BCSP credentials carry real weight with employers.

Bloodborne Pathogens

Germs that live in human blood and can cause disease. Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV are the big ones. OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) requires employers to protect workers who might contact blood or other body fluids on the job. Healthcare workers, janitors, and first responders all fall under this rule.

C

Cal/OSHA

California’s own OSHA program. California runs a state plan that’s at least as strict as federal OSHA and often stricter. Cal/OSHA sets its own standards, runs its own inspections, and issues its own citations. If you work in California, Cal/OSHA is your primary safety regulator, not federal OSHA.

CFR (Code of Federal Regulations)

The official collection of all federal rules in the United States. OSHA’s standards live in Title 29 of the CFR. When someone says “29 CFR 1926.501,” they’re pointing to a specific fall protection rule in the CFR. Think of it as the rulebook.

Competent Person

Someone who can identify hazards in the workplace and has the authority to fix them. This isn’t a job title. It’s a legal designation under OSHA standards. A competent person on a scaffold, for example, must inspect it before each shift and has the power to shut it down if something’s wrong. Many OSHA standards require a competent person to be on site.

Confined Space

Any space that’s large enough to enter, has limited ways in and out, and isn’t meant for continuous work. Tanks, silos, vaults, and manholes are common examples. Some confined spaces are “permit-required,” meaning they have serious hazards like toxic air or engulfment risk. Workers need specific training before entering.

Construction Industry (OSHA Standards)

OSHA splits its rules into two main groups: construction (29 CFR 1926) and general industry (29 CFR 1910). Construction standards cover building sites, demolition, excavation, and similar work. The OSHA 10 for construction and OSHA 30 for construction teach these rules.

CSP (Certified Safety Professional)

The gold standard certification for safety professionals. Issued by the BCSP. You need a bachelor’s degree and at least four years of safety experience to qualify for the exam. A CSP after your name opens doors for safety management roles and typically comes with higher pay.

D

DOL (Department of Labor)

The federal agency that oversees OSHA, along with wage laws, workers’ comp, and other labor issues. OSHA is part of the DOL. When OSHA issues a big fine or announces a new rule, it usually comes through the DOL.

DOT (Department of Transportation)

The federal agency that regulates transportation safety. DOT sets rules for hazmat shipping, driver qualifications, and vehicle safety. If your job involves moving hazardous materials on public roads, DOT rules apply on top of OSHA rules.

E

EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety)

The department or function at a company that handles environmental compliance, worker health, and workplace safety. EHS managers juggle OSHA rules, EPA regulations, and company safety programs all at once. At large companies, this can be a full department. At smaller ones, it might be one person doing everything.

Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

A written plan that tells workers what to do during fires, chemical spills, severe weather, or other emergencies. OSHA requires most workplaces to have one. It should cover escape routes, meeting points, who calls 911, and how to account for everyone after an evacuation. It’s not optional for workplaces with more than 10 employees.

Engineering Controls

Physical changes to the workplace that remove or reduce a hazard at the source. Installing guardrails, adding ventilation, or enclosing a noisy machine are all engineering controls. They rank high on the hierarchy of controls because they don’t depend on workers remembering to do something.

Ergonomics

The science of fitting the job to the worker. Bad ergonomics cause back injuries, repetitive strain, carpal tunnel, and other musculoskeletal problems. OSHA doesn’t have a single ergonomics standard, but they can cite employers under the General Duty Clause for ergonomic hazards.

Exposure

Contact with a hazard. For chemical hazards, exposure means breathing in, touching, or swallowing a harmful substance. OSHA sets permissible exposure limits for hundreds of chemicals. Exposure can also refer to noise levels, radiation, or any other hazard a worker contacts during their shift.

F

Fall Protection

Equipment and systems that prevent workers from falling to a lower level. Guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems are the main types. OSHA’s fall protection standard is the most-cited rule in construction, year after year. In general industry, fall protection kicks in at 4 feet. In construction, it’s 6 feet. Fall protection training is required for workers at height.

Fire Watch

A person assigned to watch for fires during and after hot work. If you’re welding, cutting, or grinding near anything flammable, someone needs to stand there with a fire extinguisher and keep watching for at least 30 minutes after the work stops. That person is the fire watch. It’s a real assignment, not just “keep an eye out.”

First Aid

Immediate care given to an injured or sick person before professional medical help arrives. Under OSHA rules, employers must have first aid supplies on site and at least one trained first aid provider if there’s no nearby clinic or hospital. What counts as “first aid” vs. “medical treatment” also matters for recordkeeping.

Forklift (Powered Industrial Truck)

OSHA calls them “powered industrial trucks,” but everyone says forklift. Operators must be trained and evaluated before driving one. The employer has to certify the training every three years. Forklift certification isn’t issued by OSHA directly. The employer does the training and signs off.

G

General Duty Clause

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act. It says employers must keep their workplace “free from recognized hazards” that could cause death or serious harm. OSHA uses this clause to cite employers for hazards that don’t have a specific standard. If there’s no rule covering a specific danger but the employer knew about it and didn’t fix it, the General Duty Clause applies.

General Industry

OSHA’s name for workplaces that aren’t construction sites, maritime operations, or agriculture. Manufacturing plants, warehouses, offices, and retail stores all fall under general industry standards (29 CFR 1910). Most workplace safety rules people encounter come from the general industry standards.

GHS (Globally Harmonized System)

An international system for classifying chemicals and communicating their hazards. GHS standardized the format of Safety Data Sheets and chemical labels worldwide. Those diamond-shaped pictograms on chemical containers (skull and crossbones, flame, exclamation mark) come from GHS. OSHA adopted GHS into the HazCom standard in 2012.

H

Hazard Communication (HazCom)

OSHA’s standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) that requires employers to tell workers about chemical hazards in the workplace. Employers must keep Safety Data Sheets, label containers, and train workers on chemical risks. HazCom is sometimes called the “Right to Know” standard. It’s one of the most-cited OSHA violations every year.

HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response)

The OSHA standard (29 CFR 1910.120) that covers workers who clean up hazardous waste or respond to chemical emergencies. The 40-hour HAZWOPER training is the full course for site workers. There’s also a 24-hour version for workers with less direct contact, and an 8-hour annual refresher. HAZWOPER training is required before you set foot on a hazardous waste site.

Hierarchy of Controls

The ranking system for how to deal with workplace hazards, from most effective to least. The order: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE. Removing the hazard entirely (elimination) beats everything else. PPE is the last resort because it depends entirely on the worker wearing it correctly. NIOSH developed this framework, and every safety professional should know it cold.

Hot Work

Any work that produces sparks, flame, or heat. Welding, cutting, brazing, grinding, and soldering all count. Hot work near flammable materials requires a hot work permit and a fire watch. Hot work fires are preventable, but they keep happening because people skip the permit process.

I

IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health)

A concentration of a toxic substance or an oxygen-deficient atmosphere that could kill you or cause permanent damage if you don’t get out immediately. NIOSH sets IDLH values for chemicals. If a confined space tests at IDLH levels, you don’t enter without supplied-air respiratory protection and a rescue team standing by. Period.

Incident Rate

A standardized way to measure how many injuries and illnesses happen at a workplace. OSHA’s formula: (Number of injuries x 200,000) / Total hours worked. The 200,000 represents 100 full-time workers for a year. This lets you compare safety records between companies and industries regardless of size. See also TRIR.

Industrial Hygiene

The science of identifying and controlling workplace health hazards like chemical exposure, noise, heat, and radiation. Industrial hygienists measure air quality, noise levels, and other exposures. They figure out if workers are getting too much of something harmful and recommend fixes. It’s a specialized field within safety.

J

JHA (Job Hazard Analysis)

A process where you break a job into steps, identify the hazards at each step, and figure out how to control them. You write down every step of a task, list what could go wrong at each step, and describe what to do about it. JHAs are one of the most practical safety tools on any job site. Also called a JSA.

JSA (Job Safety Analysis)

The same thing as a JHA. Different name, same process. Some companies say JHA, some say JSA. The idea is identical: break the job into steps, spot the hazards, and plan how to control them before work starts.

K

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

A measurable number that shows how well a safety program is performing. Lagging indicators track things that already happened, like injury rates. Leading indicators track prevention efforts, like the number of safety inspections completed or near-misses reported. Good safety programs track both.

L

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)

The process of shutting down equipment, locking the energy source, and tagging it so nobody accidentally turns it on while someone’s working on it. LOTO applies to electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, and other energy sources. Skipping LOTO kills people every year. OSHA’s standard (29 CFR 1910.147) spells out exactly how to do it. It lands on the most-cited violations list regularly.

M

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

The old name for a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). OSHA switched to the SDS format when they adopted GHS in 2012. If someone at your workplace still calls them MSDS sheets, they’re behind the times. The information is the same, but the format is now standardized to 16 sections.

MOD Rate (Experience Modification Rate)

A number that insurance companies use to adjust your workers’ comp premium based on your injury history. A MOD rate of 1.0 is average for your industry. Below 1.0 means fewer injuries than average, so you pay less. Above 1.0 means more injuries, and your premium goes up. Contractors care about this number a lot because it affects their ability to bid on jobs.

N

Near Miss

An event that could have caused injury or damage but didn’t. A wrench falls from scaffolding and lands a foot from someone’s head. That’s a near miss. Tracking near misses is one of the best ways to prevent real injuries because they reveal hazards before someone gets hurt. Companies with strong safety programs report and investigate near misses the same way they investigate actual injuries.

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)

The organization that writes fire safety codes and standards. NFPA 70 (the National Electrical Code) and NFPA 70E (electrical safety in the workplace) are two of the most referenced. NFPA standards aren’t federal law on their own, but states and local jurisdictions adopt them into building codes.

NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

The federal research agency for workplace safety. NIOSH is part of the CDC, not the Department of Labor. They study hazards, recommend exposure limits, test respirators, and publish guidance. OSHA sets the rules. NIOSH does the science behind them. NIOSH recommendations are often stricter than OSHA’s enforceable limits.

O

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

The federal agency that sets and enforces workplace safety rules. OSHA is part of the Department of Labor. They write standards, inspect workplaces, issue citations, and levy fines. OSHA covers most private-sector workers in the U.S., plus some public-sector workers in states with state plans.

OSHA 10

A 10-hour safety training course that covers basic workplace hazards. There’s a construction version and a general industry version. It’s the most common entry-level safety card in the industry. Many employers and some states require it. The training is taught through OSHA’s Outreach Training Program by authorized trainers. See our OSHA 10 vs 30 comparison for help deciding which one you need.

OSHA 30

A 30-hour safety training course that goes deeper than the OSHA 10. The construction version covers more hazard topics and more detail. It’s aimed at supervisors, foremen, and safety managers. Taking the 30-hour doesn’t replace the 10-hour. It builds on it. Most people who get the OSHA 30 already have years of field experience.

OSHA 300 Log

A form where employers record work-related injuries and illnesses throughout the year. OSHA requires most employers with more than 10 workers to keep this log. At the end of each year, you post a summary (Form 300A) where workers can see it from February through April. The 300 log data also gets reported electronically to OSHA if your company is large enough.

Outreach Training Program

OSHA’s program that authorizes trainers to teach OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 courses. OSHA doesn’t teach these classes directly. Instead, they train the trainers through OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, and those trainers deliver the courses. When you finish, you get a DOL card with your name on it.

Other-than-Serious Violation

An OSHA violation where the hazard probably wouldn’t cause death or serious harm, but still breaks the rules. A missing poster on the wall or a paperwork error might get this classification. Penalties are lower than for serious violations, but the employer still has to fix the problem.

P

PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit)

The maximum amount of a chemical substance a worker can legally be exposed to during a shift. OSHA sets PELs for hundreds of chemicals. Most are based on an 8-hour time-weighted average. Many safety professionals point out that OSHA’s PELs are outdated, some haven’t changed since 1971. NIOSH’s recommended exposure limits (RELs) and ACGIH’s TLVs are usually stricter and more current.

Permit-Required Confined Space

A confined space that also has one or more serious hazards: toxic atmosphere, engulfment risk, inward-sloping walls, or any other recognized danger. Before anyone enters, the employer must issue a written permit, test the atmosphere, station an attendant outside, and have a rescue plan. The confined space training covers the full entry and rescue procedures.

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

Gear workers wear to protect against hazards. Hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, steel-toe boots, respirators, fall harnesses, and hearing protection are all PPE. PPE sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of controls because it’s the least effective method. If a worker doesn’t wear it, or wears it wrong, it does nothing. Employers must provide PPE at no cost to workers (with a few exceptions like safety-toe boots, depending on the employer).

Q

Qualified Person

Someone with a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, plus extensive knowledge and experience, who can solve problems in their specific field. Don’t confuse this with competent person. A qualified person has formal credentials. A competent person has practical ability and authority. OSHA standards sometimes require one, the other, or both depending on the situation.

R

Recordable Injury

A work-related injury or illness that must go on the OSHA 300 Log. An injury is recordable if it results in death, days away from work, restricted duty, transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or a significant injury diagnosed by a doctor. Simple first aid cases don’t count. The line between “first aid” and “medical treatment” is where most recordkeeping questions come up.

Respiratory Protection

Equipment and programs that protect workers from breathing in harmful stuff. OSHA’s respiratory protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134) requires employers to establish a written program, provide medical evaluations, fit-test respirators, and train workers. You can’t just hand someone a respirator and tell them to put it on. There’s a whole process. Respiratory protection consistently appears on the most-cited violations list.

Risk Assessment

The process of identifying hazards, figuring out who could be harmed, and deciding what controls to put in place. A risk assessment looks at how likely something is to happen and how bad the consequences would be. It’s the foundation of any safety program. Without it, you’re guessing.

S

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

A 16-section document that tells you everything about a chemical: what’s in it, how it can hurt you, how to store it, what to do if someone gets exposed, and how to clean up a spill. Employers must keep an SDS for every hazardous chemical in the workplace and make sure workers can access them. The SDS format replaced the old MSDS when OSHA adopted GHS.

Scaffold

A temporary platform used to support workers and materials at height. OSHA has detailed rules about scaffold construction, inspection, and use. A competent person must inspect scaffolds before each shift. Scaffold violations consistently rank in OSHA’s top 10 most-cited standards. Workers on scaffolds also need fall protection above certain heights.

Serious Violation

An OSHA citation for a hazard that the employer knew about (or should have known about) and that could cause death or serious physical harm. This is the most common citation type. Penalties can reach over $16,000 per violation as of 2026. Penalty amounts adjust for inflation every year.

Silica

Crystalline silica is a mineral found in sand, stone, concrete, and brick. Cutting, grinding, or drilling these materials creates silica dust. Breathing it in causes silicosis, a serious and permanent lung disease. OSHA’s silica standard (effective since 2016 for construction) cut the permissible exposure limit in half and added requirements for exposure monitoring, medical exams, and dust controls.

State OSHA Plan

A state-run workplace safety program approved by federal OSHA. Twenty-two states and several territories run their own OSHA programs covering both private and public-sector workers. State plans must be at least as strict as federal OSHA but can add stricter rules. Cal/OSHA is the most well-known example.

T

TLV (Threshold Limit Value)

A recommended exposure limit set by the ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists). TLVs aren’t legally enforceable the way OSHA’s PELs are. But they’re updated more often and are usually stricter. Many industrial hygienists use TLVs as the better benchmark, even though employers only have to meet PELs.

Toolbox Talk

A short, informal safety meeting held before or during a work shift. Usually 5 to 15 minutes. The supervisor picks a safety topic relevant to the day’s work, talks through the hazards, and opens it up for questions. Toolbox talks go by other names too: tailgate meetings, safety huddles, safety moments. Whatever you call them, they work best when they cover one specific hazard and include real examples.

Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR)

The number of recordable injuries per 100 full-time workers per year. The formula: (Number of recordable injuries x 200,000) / Total hours worked. TRIR is the standard metric for comparing safety performance across companies and industries. A TRIR below 1.0 is strong in most industries. Above 4.0 signals serious problems.

Trenching and Excavation

Digging work that creates trenches or open pits. OSHA requires protective systems (sloping, shoring, or shielding) in any trench 5 feet deep or more. A competent person must inspect the trench daily and after rain. Cave-ins kill workers every year, and OSHA treats trenching violations seriously.

V

Violation Types

OSHA classifies citations by severity:

Other-than-Serious: A violation that won’t likely cause death or serious harm. Lower penalties.
Serious: A hazard that could cause death or serious harm, and the employer knew or should have known about it. Most common type.
Willful: The employer intentionally ignored the law or acted with plain indifference to worker safety. Maximum penalties apply, and can exceed $160,000 per violation as of 2026.
Repeat: A violation that’s substantially similar to one the employer was cited for in the past five years. Penalties multiply.
Failure to Abate: The employer didn’t fix a previously cited hazard by the deadline. Daily penalties can stack up fast.

W

Willful Violation

The most serious type of OSHA citation. OSHA issues a willful violation when the employer knowingly ignored the law or showed plain indifference to worker safety. Penalties can exceed $160,000 per violation. If a worker dies because of a willful violation, criminal prosecution is possible. Willful violations are rare compared to serious violations, but they carry the heaviest consequences.

Workers’ Compensation

An insurance system that pays for medical treatment and lost wages when a worker gets hurt or sick on the job. Every state except Texas requires most employers to carry workers’ comp insurance. Workers give up the right to sue their employer for negligence in exchange for guaranteed benefits regardless of fault. The MOD rate ties workers’ comp costs directly to a company’s injury record.

FAQ

What's the difference between OSHA 10 and OSHA 30?

The OSHA 10 covers basic hazard recognition in 10 hours. The OSHA 30 goes deeper and takes 30 hours. OSHA 10 is for entry-level workers. OSHA 30 is for supervisors and safety leaders. Read our full OSHA 10 vs 30 comparison.

What's the difference between a competent person and a qualified person?

A competent person can identify hazards and has the authority to correct them. A qualified person has formal education, credentials, or professional standing in their field. Some OSHA standards require one, the other, or both.

What does IDLH stand for?

IDLH stands for Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health. It describes any atmosphere or chemical concentration that could kill you or cause permanent damage without immediate escape. NIOSH sets IDLH values for individual chemicals.

Are OSHA's PELs the strictest exposure limits?

No. OSHA’s PELs are the legal minimums, and many haven’t been updated since 1971. NIOSH’s recommended exposure limits (RELs) and the ACGIH’s TLVs are usually stricter and more current. Many safety professionals follow the stricter limits.

What is the most-cited OSHA violation?

Fall protection has been the most-cited OSHA standard in construction for over a decade. Hazard communication and respiratory protection are also consistently in the top five. See the full most-cited OSHA violations list.