method statement
A written plan that explains step by step how a particular job will be done safely, including equipment and people needed.
Example: The client rejected our method statement for the roof lift.
C120 words · Advanced
Site Safety vocabulary — C1
The paperwork and controls behind dangerous work on site: a method statement and permit to work before the job starts, lockout-tagout on machinery, and a fire watch kept after welding or cutting.
20 questions
Words in this set
20permit to work
A formal paper approval, signed before a dangerous job starts, that says exactly what tasks are allowed, where and for how long.
Example:
No one starts cutting until the permit to work is signed.
fall arrest
A system, usually a harness, strap and fixed point, that stops a person who drops from a height before they hit the ground.
Example:
The fall arrest system stopped him after a one-metre drop.
lockout-tagout
A procedure of locking a machine's power switch and hanging a label on it, so nobody can start it while it is being repaired.
Example:
Apply lockout-tagout before you open the conveyor housing.
hot work
Any job, such as welding or cutting metal with a flame, that makes sparks or heat and could start a fire.
Example:
We need a separate permit for any hot work near the fuel store.
hierarchy of controls
A ranked list of ways to deal with a danger, from removing it completely to just giving people protective gear.
Example:
Under the hierarchy of controls, PPE should be our last choice.
lost-time injury
An accident on the job that is serious enough that the hurt person cannot come back the next day or shift.
Example:
Our site has had no lost-time injury for 200 days.
safe working load
The greatest weight that a crane, rope or chain is allowed to carry in normal use.
Example:
Never lift more than the safe working load marked on the sling.
fire watch
A trained person who stays near hot work, and for a time afterward, to look for sparks and put out any small blaze.
Example:
The fire watch stayed an hour after the welding stopped.
manual handling
Lifting, carrying or moving things with the body rather than a machine, which can cause back injuries if done badly.
Example:
Good manual handling means bending your knees, not your back.
stop-work authority
The right of any worker to halt a job at once when they think it is unsafe, without fear of punishment.
Example:
Under stop-work authority, even a new labourer can halt the crane.
tag line
A rope held by a worker on the ground to steady a crane load and stop it from swinging.
Example:
Two men guided the beam with a tag line as it rose.
residual risk
The danger that is still left after all the planned safety measures have been put in place.
Example:
After the new guards, the residual risk was judged acceptable.
incident investigation
A formal inquiry after an accident that collects facts and questions witnesses to find out why it happened.
Example:
The incident investigation showed the guard had never been fitted.
corrective action
A step taken after an accident or fault is found, to fix the problem and stop it from happening again.
Example:
The corrective action was to fit a lock on every panel door.
carabiner
A strong metal clip with a spring gate, used to join a harness or rope quickly to a fixed point.
Example:
He snapped the carabiner onto the anchor before leaning out.
spill kit
A container of absorbent material and tools kept ready for cleaning up leaked oil or chemicals quickly.
Example:
Grab the spill kit; diesel is leaking from the tank.
emergency response plan
A prepared set of instructions saying who does what, and where to go, if a serious accident, fire or collapse happens.
Example:
The emergency response plan names a rescue team for every shift.
job safety analysis
A check of a task broken into its steps, listing the danger in each step and how to control it.
Example:
Each crew completes a job safety analysis before starting a new task.
anchor point
A very strong fixed place, on a beam or wall, where a rope or harness can be attached.
Example:
The engineer approved the anchor point before anyone clipped on.
