Health Hazard
Health hazards are chemicals or substances that present a danger to human health. Workers exposed to health hazards are at risk for illness, whereas physical hazards cause bodily damage. The Globally Harmonized System both classifies and categorizes hazard; the three hazard classes are health hazards, physical hazards, and environmental hazards. The four sub-classes of health hazards are corrosive,…
CSS Editorial Staff | July 2, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | < 1 min read
Flame-Resistant Clothing
Flame-resistant (FR) clothing is a type of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to self-extinguish upon ignition. Though FR clothing can still catch fire, these garments will not continue to burn and effectively reduce the risk and severity of burns. Flame-resistant clothing is not synonymous with flame-retardant clothing. Both kinds of garments will self-extinguish, and both…
CSS Editorial Staff | July 1, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste is any type of waste (gas, liquid, sludge, or solid) that exhibits at least one hazardous trait: ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity, or toxicity. Hazardous waste is generated in a number of industries; motor oils are a hazardous waste of automotive shops, manufacturing facilities commonly deal with wastes from batteries, farms have to be conscious…
CSS Editorial Staff | July 1, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
Administrative Controls
Administrative controls (also called work practice controls) are used in the workplace to reduce or limit the exposure to a specific hazard. This kind of hazard control works by changing how work is done when elimination, substitution, or the use of engineering controls is not feasible. In the Hierarchy of Controls, administrative efforts rank fourth for…
CSS Editorial Staff | July 1, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
Pinch Points
Pinch points, also called nip points, are points on a machine where a person or a part of their body can get caught in between moving parts. Gears, rollers, belt drives, and pulleys are all examples of typical pinch points in the workplace. OSHA standard 1910.211 provides guidance on what constitutes a nip point: “Pinch point” means…
CSS Editorial Staff | July 1, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
Slips, Trips, and Falls
Slips, trips, and falls, or “falls to the same level,” are much more frequent than falls from an elevation and cause one in six of all lost-time work injuries. Falls from the same level are caused either by a slip or a trip: Slips occur when there is too little traction or friction between the footwear and the…
CSS Editorial Staff | June 24, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
Uptime
Uptime, sometimes referred to as run time, is a key performance indicator (KPI) used to evaluate Lean manufacturing processes and prevent downtime. This metric takes into account all possible stoppages, both scheduled and unscheduled, for a more complete representation of the amount of time a production line is up and running. Manufacturers who keep track of uptime…
CSS Editorial Staff | June 24, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
Forklift Certification
OSHA requires forklift operators to be certified to use a forklift and authorized from the employer to operate the forklift. Forklifts, or powered industrial trucks, are a staple of many workplaces, but can also be the most dangerous hazards in the workplace. They are vehicles that weigh thousands of pounds that are often traveling in the…
CSS Editorial Staff | June 20, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
International Standards Organizations (ISO)
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a non-governmental agency focused on setting standards for countries worldwide. It is made up of 164 member countries and is the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards. Each member country is represented in ISO by a standards body; the United States, for example, is represented by the American National…
CSS Editorial Staff | June 20, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
SIPOC Diagram
A SIPOC diagram is a process improvement tool used in the Six Sigma methodology and Lean manufacturing. It is used to identify all relevant elements of a process before any improvement project begins. SIPOC diagrams are most beneficial when used in the “define” step of the DMAIC cycle, before beginning a Kaizen event, or as the first…
CSS Editorial Staff | June 20, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
How is Gemba Lean?
Gemba walks are a Lean management tool that fits in with many other Lean manufacturing concepts. The focus of a Lean manufacturing system in general is on identifying waste in work processes and eliminating it. That way only things that add value for the customer are performed or included. While a gemba walk can focus on…
CSS Editorial Staff | June 4, 2019 | Gemba, Lean | 4 min read
Fire Suppression System
Fire suppression systems are the systems used to contain or extinguish fire in a building, typically used in rooms with valuable or critical equipment. When heat or smoke is detected, the system is immediately activated, and an extinguishing agent is released. A dry chemical or wet agent (or a combination of the two) fills the…
CSS Editorial Staff | May 29, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
Eye Wash Stations
The eyes are one of the most sensitive organs in the body, with permanent damage occurring in a matter of seconds. In order to protect workers from an accidental splash into the eye, facilities with hazardous chemicals must maintain eyewash stations in the workplace. Eyewash stations are easily accessible and allow workers to quickly flush out…
CSS Editorial Staff | May 29, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
Cleanroom
Simply speaking, cleanrooms are spaces designed to be free from impurities. These rooms are found in research labs, industrial production facilities, and in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical items and microprocessors. Cleanrooms are controlled environments with a low level of pollutants and a controlled level of contamination used where particles and unpredictable airflows can negatively impact the manufacturing…
CSS Editorial Staff | April 22, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
Hearing Protection
Workplaces producing excessive noise (either sudden or continuous) can injure workers and even lead to permanent hearing damage. In order to reduce the hazard, engineering controls, new work procedures, and administrative controls should all be considered. If there is no way to eliminate the dangerous of levels of noise in the facility, employer will need to…
CSS Editorial Staff | April 22, 2019 | CSS.com - Glossary | 2 min read
