NEBOSH-IGC1, Element-1- THE SCOPE AND NATURE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Some Important Definitions according to NEBOSH.

KEY INFORMATION

•       The study of health and safety involves the study of many different subjects including the sciences (chemistry, physics and biology), engineering, psychology, sociology and the law.

•       There are many barriers to good standards of health and safety in a workplace: workplaces can be complex; there are often competing and conflicting demands placed upon people and organisations; and good health and safety practice often relies on the perfect behaviour of individuals, who sometimes do not behave in an ideal way.

•       Key definitions are:

–     Health - the absence of  disease.

–     Safety - the absence of risk of serious personal injury.

–     Welfare - access to basic facilities.

–     Accident - an unplanned, unwanted event which leads to injury, damage or loss.

–     Near miss - an unplanned, unwanted event that had the potential to lead to injury, damage or loss (but did not actually do so).

–     Dangerous occurrence - a specified event that may have to be reported to the relevant authority by law.

–     Hazard - something with the potential to cause harm.

–     Risk - the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm, in combination with the severity of injury, damage or loss that might occur.