Kevron Group — Your Trusted HSE Partner
Comprehensive dictionary of Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) terms, abbreviations, and concepts.
B
Behavioural Safety
An approach to safety management that focuses on identifying and modifying the behaviours of workers that contribute to incidents, using observation, feedback, and reinforcement techniques to foster a positive safety culture.
Bow-Tie Analysis
A risk analysis method that visually maps the causal pathways between a hazard, an undesired event (the top event), and its potential consequences, along with the barriers that prevent escalation on both sides.
C
CDM Regulations
Construction Design and Management Regulations ? regulations that apply to all construction projects in the UK and set out duties on clients, designers, principal designers, contractors, and principal contractors to manage health and safety during construction.
Confined Space
An enclosed or partially enclosed space not designed for continuous human occupancy, with limited means of entry and exit, and which may contain or produce dangerous atmospheres, engulfment risks, or other serious hazards.
COSHH
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health ? UK and Nigerian regulatory framework requiring employers to control substances that are hazardous to health by preventing or adequately controlling exposure to workers.
E
EEERA
Escape, Evacuation and Rescue Analysis ? an assessment used primarily on offshore installations to determine whether the means of escape, evacuation, and rescue are adequate in the event of a major accident or emergency.
EIA
Environmental Impact Assessment ? a process used to evaluate the potential environmental effects of a proposed project or development before a decision is made about whether it should be approved.
Emergency Response Plan
A documented plan that outlines the procedures, resources, responsibilities, and communication protocols to be followed in the event of an emergency, such as a fire, explosion, chemical release, or natural disaster.
ESG
Environmental, Social and Governance ? a framework used by investors, regulators, and businesses to evaluate how an organisation manages risks and opportunities related to environmental, social, and corporate governance criteria.
ESIA
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ? a combined assessment that evaluates both the environmental and social consequences of a proposed project, often required for large infrastructure and extractive industry developments.
H
HAZID
Hazard Identification Study ? a high-level, qualitative risk analysis technique used in the early stages of a project to identify potential hazards and consequences before detailed design is completed.
HAZMAT
Hazardous Materials ? refers to substances that pose a risk to health, safety, property, or the environment. HAZMAT training covers proper storage, handling, transport, and emergency response to chemical spills and releases.
HAZOP
Hazard and Operability Study ? a structured, systematic examination of a planned or existing process or operation to identify and evaluate problems that may represent risks to personnel or equipment, or prevent efficient operation.
HSE
Health, Safety and Environment ? the professional discipline concerned with protecting the health and safety of workers and the public while minimising the impact of operations on the environment.
HSSE
Health, Safety, Security and Environment ? an integrated management discipline that combines occupational health, workplace safety, industrial security, and environmental protection into a single management framework.
I
IECEx
International Electrotechnical Commission Explosive Atmospheres ? a global certification scheme for equipment used in explosive atmospheres, covering electrical equipment, non-electrical equipment, and personnel with competencies in ExE explosive atmospheres.
ISO 14001
An international standard that sets out the criteria for an environmental management system (EMS). It helps organisations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste.
ISO 45001
An international standard specifying requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system. It helps organisations reduce workplace injuries and illness and achieve continual improvement in OH&S performance.
ISO 9001
An internationally recognised standard for quality management systems (QMS). It is based on seven quality management principles including a strong customer focus, continuous improvement, and evidence-based decision making.
ISPS Code
International Ship and Port Facility Security Code ? an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention that sets out minimum security arrangements for ships, ports, and government agencies, and defines responsibilities to detect security threats.
L
Lagging Indicator
A reactive safety metric that measures outcomes that have already occurred, such as the Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR), or fatality rates.
Leading Indicator
A proactive safety metric that measures activities and behaviours that prevent incidents before they occur, such as the number of safety observations, toolbox talk completions, or audit findings closed out on time.
LOLER
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations ? regulations that require lifting equipment to be strong enough for its intended use, positioned and installed to minimise risk, and used safely. All lifting operations must be properly planned and supervised.
LOPA
Layers of Protection Analysis ? a risk assessment method used to evaluate the adequacy of the independent protection layers (IPLs) in place to prevent a hazardous scenario from reaching an undesired consequence.
LTIFR
Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate ? a safety performance metric calculated as the number of lost time injuries per one million hours worked. It is one of the most widely used lagging indicators of safety performance.
M
MARPOL
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships ? an IMO treaty that addresses pollution from ships, covering oil, chemicals, harmful substances in packaged form, sewage, garbage, and air pollution from vessels.
MOC
Management of Change ? a systematic process for reviewing and approving modifications to facilities, equipment, personnel, or procedures before they are implemented, to ensure that changes do not introduce unacceptable risks.
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheet ? a document that contains information about the properties, hazards, handling, storage, disposal, and emergency response procedures for a specific hazardous chemical (now more commonly called a Safety Data Sheet or SDS).
N
Near Miss
An unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage but had the potential to do so. Near miss reporting is a critical leading indicator in safety management systems.
NIMASA
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ? the government agency responsible for maritime safety, security, marine environment protection, and the regulation of shipping, ports, and maritime education in Nigeria.
NUPRC
Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission ? the regulatory body responsible for overseeing upstream petroleum operations in Nigeria following the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, replacing the former DPR.
P
Permit to Work
A formal safety management system that authorises personnel to carry out defined high-risk tasks in a controlled manner. Common permit types include hot work, cold work, confined space entry, and electrical isolation.
PPE
Personal Protective Equipment ? protective clothing, helmets, goggles, gloves, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer from injury or infection. Selection should follow a hierarchy of controls.
PSSR
Pressure Systems Safety Regulations ? regulations that require owners and users of pressure systems to ensure they are properly designed, constructed, maintained, and operated to prevent the risks of stored energy release through system failure.
PUWER
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations ? regulations that require work equipment to be suitable for its intended use, maintained in a safe condition, inspected regularly, and only used by people who have received adequate information and training.
R
RIDDOR
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations ? UK regulations that impose a legal duty on employers to report and record certain workplace-related injuries, occupational diseases, and dangerous occurrences.
Risk Assessment
A systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and implementing controls to reduce risks to an acceptable level. Risk assessments are a legal requirement in most jurisdictions.
Root Cause Analysis
A structured investigation method used to identify the fundamental causes of an incident or problem, rather than just addressing its immediate symptoms. Common techniques include the 5-Why method, fault tree analysis, and fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams.
S
Safety Case
A structured argument, supported by evidence, that demonstrates that an asset, system, or operation is acceptably safe in its intended environment. Safety cases are commonly required for major hazard facilities.
Safety Culture
The shared values, beliefs, and attitudes of an organisation regarding health and safety. A positive safety culture is characterised by strong leadership commitment, open communication, and employee engagement in safety.
SCE
Safety Critical Element ? a part of an installation or activity, including a computer program, the failure of which could cause or contribute substantially to a major accident. SCEs must be subject to written schemes of verification.
SIL
Safety Integrity Level ? a discrete level (1 to 4) for specifying the safety integrity requirements of safety functions to be allocated to safety instrumented systems. Higher SIL levels require greater risk reduction.
T
Toolbox Talk
A short, informal safety meeting typically held at the start of a shift or workday to discuss safety issues relevant to the specific work being carried out that day. They are an important means of engaging workers in safety.
TRIR
Total Recordable Incident Rate ? a safety metric calculated as the number of OSHA recordable incidents per 200,000 hours worked (or equivalent). It includes fatalities, lost time injuries, restricted work cases, and medical treatment cases.