|
OSHA RELATED TERMS |
DESCRIPTIONS |
|
Federal Register |
The official daily publication for rules, proposals,
and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as
well as presidential executive orders. |
|
Clean Air Act |
A set of laws passed in the 1970s to regulate air
pollution in the U.S. |
|
compliance officer |
The OSHA representative who enforces OSHA standards
through inspection and investigation. |
|
compliance program |
The program through which OSHA enforces its standards.
Inspection is at the center of the compliance program. |
|
Department of Labor |
A U.S. cabinet department formed to foster, promote,
and develop workers' welfare, to improve working
conditions, and to promote opportunities for
profitable employment. The Secretary of Labor is the
head of the department. |
|
employee |
An individual who works under the direction of an
employer. |
|
employer |
A person, firm, corporation, contractor, or other
association or organization that employs individuals
for payment. |
|
ergonomics |
The study of designing devices and arranging
workspaces to decrease operator discomfort or fatigue
and increase productivity. |
|
establishment |
A single physical location where business is conducted
or where services are performed. |
|
experimental variance |
A limited exception to the rule or a temporary
deviation from the standard for the purposes of
testing alternative methods of compliance. |
|
general duty clause |
A statement within the OSH Act providing a requirement
that employers furnish employment and places of
employment which are free from recognized hazards to
the health and safety of their employees. The clause
covers situations for which there is no specific
standard. |
|
guideline |
A recommendation to follow a particular practice or
method. There are no real penalties for non-compliance
with guidelines. |
|
Health and Human Services |
The U.S. government agency charged with protecting the
health of citizens. |
|
machine guarding |
A shield or device covering hazardous areas of a
machine to prevent contact with body parts or to
control hazards like chips and noise from exiting the
machine. |
|
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health |
The federal agency known by the acronym NIOSH that is
responsible for conducting research and making
recommendations for the prevention of work-related
injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. |
|
OSH Act |
The Occupational Safety and Health Act. The OSH Act of
1970 was passed to assure safe and healthful working
conditions through standards, enforcement, research,
information, education, and training. |
|
OSHA |
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
OSHA is a government agency under the U.S. Dept. of
Labor that helps employers reduce injuries, illnesses,
and deaths in the workplace. |
|
OSHA Outreach Training Program |
OSHA's primary system of training employees in the
basics of occupational safety and health. |
|
OSHA Training Institute |
OSHA's main training facility located near Chicago
that offers high-level training to safety
professionals in the public and private sector. |
|
OSHA Training Institute Education Centers |
Independently run, regional training centers that
perform OSHA-approved safety training. |
|
permanent variance |
An exception to the rule or an allowed deviation from
the standard that has a continuous duration. |
|
personal protective equipment |
Any of various safety equipment that workers wear or
use to prevent injury in the workplace. Safety glasses
are common personal protective equipment (PPE). |
|
private-sector |
Employers consisting of companies or businesses that
are separate from the government. |
|
public-sector |
Employers consisting of departments and agencies of
the government. |
|
Secretary of Health and Human Services |
The head of the Department of Health and Human
Services. |
|
Secretary of Labor |
The head of the Department of Labor. |
|
standard |
An established policy on a particular practice or
method. OSHA standards have the same power as law, and
non-compliance can result in fines and other
penalties. |
|
temporary variance |
An exception to the rule or an allowed deviation from
the standard that has a limited duration. |
|
Toxic Substances Control Act |
A law that requires tests of chemicals that may harm
human health or the environment, reviews of new
chemical substances, limits on the availability of
some existing chemicals, and standards on imports to
ensure that imported chemicals comply with domestic
rules. |
|
variance |
An exception to the rule or an allowed deviation from
the standard. |
|
whistleblower |
An employee who reports or otherwise exposes possible
wrongdoing at his or her workplace. |
