Glossary

Absenteeism refers to the habitual pattern of an employee being absent from work, beyond what is considered reasonable or acceptable, without valid reasons such as approved leave or illness.

In the Australian workplace, absenteeism can have significant impacts on productivity, workplace morale, and operational costs.

Common causes of absenteeism include stress, illness, workplace dissatisfaction, or personal issues.

Managing absenteeism effectively involves promoting a positive work environment, ensuring proper health and safety measures, and providing support for employees dealing with challenges.

Addressing absenteeism is crucial for maintaining a healthy and efficient workforce.

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Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) is a proactive safety management approach that focuses on identifying, observing, and improving worker behaviours to reduce risks and prevent accidents.  

By systematically observing workplace actions, providing immediate feedback, and analysing behaviour trends, BBS fosters a culture of safety and accountability. It emphasises employee involvement, positive reinforcement, and continuous improvement to promote safe practices and enhance overall safety performance.  

While BBS helps reduce workplace incidents and build a safety-focused culture, it requires consistent participation and integration with broader safety systems to be most effective.

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Critical Control Management (CCM) is a structured approach to managing the most crucial controls that prevent significant health and safety incidents, known as Material Unwanted Events (MUEs).

A control is something that is put in place to prevent, arrest, or mitigate unwanted events. A critical control is a control which:

• applies to an event that is considered critical to avoid, by way of being classified as a 'Material Unwanted Event' (MUE) or 'Priority Unwanted Event' (PUE), and failure of the control will result in a significant increase in risk, despite the presence of other controls

• controls for a multitude of unwanted events, some of which are MUEs/PUEs

An example of a critical control is a fire suppression system on an oil rig, because it satisfies the first criterion above.

A bow-tie diagram is a visual representation of the causes, consequences, and controls surrounding a hazard. Threats or causes that increase the likelihood of the unwanted event (risk) are mapped onto prevention measures (preventative controls). Consequences of the unwanted event are mapped onto recovery measures (mitigating controls).‍

A digital bow-tie diagram integrates critical risk management aspects interactively. It visually maps controls to risks and also generates digital records of these, subject to verification workflows. Where verifications fail, potentially triggered by field investigation responses, controls are highlighted. This allows at-a-glance monitoring of risk control states.

The purpose of a digital bow-tie is therefore to alleviate the administrative burden of monitoring controls and critical controls, as part of a critical control management (CCM) strategy.

EHS is short for Environment, Health, and Safety.

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The abbreviation is used in the context of

• Role descriptions: "James is a EHS Consultant at Standard Drilling Co."
• Content: "Safety Managers typically subscribe to at least one EHS news and blog article publication."
• Software classification: "myosh is a cloud-based EHS management platform"

The three topics are clustered in a collective term because they represent interconnected objectives that often rely on similar procedures for reporting, with professionals finding many of their skills in management of one area transferable to another.

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High-Risk Construction Work (HRCW) refers to specific types of construction activities that carry a heightened risk to workers' health and safety. Under Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, HRCW is defined as any work that involves:

• Risk of a person falling from a height of 2 metres or more
• Work carried out in or near confined spaces
• Work involving explosives or demolition
• Work on or near pressurised gas or chemical lines
• Work near energised electrical installations or services
• Structural alterations that require temporary support
• Work on or near roads or railways
• Work in an area where there is movement of powered mobile plant

Employers and contractors are required to identify HRCW tasks and implement safe work methods to control the associated risks, often through a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS).

Understanding and managing HRCW is essential for minimising workplace injuries and ensuring compliance with WHS regulations.

HSE is short for Health, Safety, and Environment.

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The abbreviation is used in the context of

• Role descriptions: "James is a HSE Consultant at Standard Drilling Co."
• Content: "Safety Managers typically subscribe to at least one HSE news and blog article publication."
• Software classification: "myosh is a cloud-based HSE management platform"

The three topics are clustered in a collective term because they represent interconnected objectives that often rely on similar procedures for reporting, with professionals finding many of their skills in management of one area transferable to another.

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HSEQ is short for Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality.

The acronym is used in the context of

• Role descriptions: "James is a HSEQ Consultant at Standard Drilling Co."
• Content: "Safety Managers typically subscribe to at least one HSEQ news and blog article publication."
• Software classification: "myosh is a cloud-based HSEQ management platform"

The four topics are clustered in a catchall acronym because they represent interconnected objectives that often rely on similar procedures for reporting, with professionals finding many of their skills in management of one area transferable to another.

ISO is the abbreviated name for The International Organization for Standardization.

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ISO is a worldwide federation of the national standardisation organisations of more than 160 countries. Their purpose is to "bring global experts together to agree on the best way of doing things".

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The term ISO is most commonly seen as part of a certification name, e.g. 'ISO 27001'. Organisations will typically obtain ISO certifications, via independent auditors, to demonstrate their adherence to recognised standards of practice. Sometimes it is seen in a format like 'AS/NSZ ISO 45001:2018', with the end indicating the year of publication (2018) and the prefix indicating incorporation of the international standard into the national regulatory framework, making it more relevant and applicable within that jurisdiction (Australia and New Zealand).

ISO 27001 is an international standard for managing information security. It specifies requirements to implement processes for managing risks through identifying potential threats, evaluating their projected impact, and developing mitigation strategies.

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It is commonly used in the context of specifying a certification: "myosh is ISO 27001 certified by independent auditors". It is often seen as a badge at the bottom of websites of organisations that handle client data, particularly sensitive data.

ISO 45001 is an international standard for managing occupational health and safety risks.

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It establishes criteria for elements like leadership commitment, worker participation, hazard identification and risk assessment, legal and regulatory compliance, emergency planning, incident investigation and continual improvement.

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It is commonly used in the context of specifying a certification: "[company] is ISO 45001 certified by independent auditors". It is often seen as a badge at the bottom of websites of organisations that seek to demonstrate their commitment to maintaining a high standard of workplace safety and health.

An incident is any event that could lead to or has led to an unintended or unplanned outcome. This can include near misses, unsafe conditions, and actual injuries or damages. Incidents are narrower in scope than events, but broader in scope than accidents and can encompass a range of occurrences, including:

• Near Miss: An event that did not result in injury or damage but had the potential to do so.
• Unsafe Conditions: Situations where safety protocols are not followed, posing a risk of harm.
• Property Damage: Damage to equipment, materials, or structures without causing injury.
• Environmental Harm: Where the environment is harmed, even when no people or property were in danger.

The concept of incidents is used in HSEQ context to help define when something that happened should be recorded for future analysis.

JSEA is an abbreviation for Job Safety & Environment Analysis

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It is a risk management process commonly used in Australian workplaces to identify, assess, and control hazards associated with specific tasks.

By breaking down a job into its individual steps, JSEA helps to evaluate potential risks and environmental impacts at each stage, ensuring that effective controls are in place to prevent accidents and harm to the environment.

It is a vital tool in promoting workplace safety and environmental sustainability, particularly in high-risk industries such as construction, mining, and manufacturing. A thorough JSEA ensures that employees are aware of potential hazards and are equipped to perform their tasks safely and responsibly.

MUE is short for Material Unwanted Event.

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A material unwanted event is one that leads to, or has a significant likelihood of leading to high human, resource, or reputation costs. Particularly where the cost meets or exceeds the organisation's threshold for requiring the highest level of attention.

This term is commonly used in the resource and energy sectors. For example, an uncontrolled fire would be considered an MUE on an oil rig.

Organisations that face reasonable risks of MUEs will typically implement controls against these events, called 'critical controls'.

Near Miss Reporting is the process of documenting incidents that could have led to injury, illness, or damage but were avoided due to fortunate circumstances or timely intervention. Within the safety ecosystem, effective Near Miss Reporting is critical as it highlights potential hazards and unsafe conditions, allowing organisations to proactively address risks before they lead to harm. This process fosters a proactive safety culture, encouraging employees to report close calls and enabling continuous improvement in workplace safety.

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Non-Conformance refers to any deviation or failure to meet established standards, requirements, or expectations within a Safety Management System (SMS).

This could involve non-compliance with internal processes, regulatory standards, industry guidelines, or agreed-upon contractual requirements.  

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A Non-Conformance typically arises when there is:  
- A breach of safety protocols.  
- A process that does not meet quality or safety standards.  
- A failure to adhere to legal or regulatory obligations.  
- A deviation from planned activities or objectives.  

Identifying and addressing Non-Conformance is critical to maintaining a safe and compliant workplace.

It allows organisations to:  
- Pinpoint gaps or weaknesses in their systems.  
- Take corrective and preventive actions to mitigate risks.  
- Improve processes to prevent recurrence.  
- Demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement and regulatory compliance.

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PCBU is an abbreviation for Person(s) Conducting a Business or Undertaking.

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The term is frequently used in announcements and guidelines from Australian government bodies or other industry authorities. It is intended to capture individuals or collections of individuals who participate in organised ventures that may or may not have a profit motive. The purpose is to have a catch-all term for anyone carrying top-level responsibility for the conditions of work, to thereby assign them a duty of care under WHS laws and regulations.

PUE is short for Priority Unwanted Event.

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A priority unwanted event is one that leads to, or has a significant likelihood of leading to high human, resource, or reputation costs. Particularly where the cost meets or exceeds the organisation's threshold for requiring the highest priority of attention.

This term is sometimes used in the the mining sector, although 'MUE' is a more common and synonymous term. For example, flooding would be considered an PUE for an underground mine.

Organisations that face reasonable risks of PUEs will typically implement controls against these events, called 'critical controls'.

Psychosocial hazards are organisational factors that can negatively impact workplace wellbeing through psychological and social mechanisms. While 'wellbeing' focuses on the outcome of overall wellness of individuals, psychosocial hazards address a subset of potential root causes at the organisation level. Addressing psychosocial hazards involves prevention, whereas wellbeing strategies emphasise mitigation.

Under Safe Work Australia's Model Code of Practice, there are currently 14 psychosocial hazards including job demands, poor organisational justice, harassment and others.

SOP is short for Safe Operating Procedures or Standard Operating Procedures.

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SOPs are sets of standardised procedures that identify health and safety considerations relating to the operation of particular plant, machinery, or equipment. These procedures are codified in what is sometimes also called Safe Work Instructions (SWIs) or Safe Work Method Satements (SWMS) and are a legal requirement for any hazardous activities, in most jurisdictions. It has a similar definition to Safe Work Procedures, which is just a broader term that would be applied for general work tasks not necessarily related to operating machinery, etc.

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An example of a task for which an SOP must be established is the operation of a wide belt sander. Note that this is a set of instructions for a particular context, tailored to the workplace and the model/class of the machine; it is in addition to general safety training for dangerous machinery operation.

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SWI is short for Safe Work Instructions.

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SWIs are sets of standardised instructions that identify health and safety considerations relating to the use of particular machinery or equipment, or to particular tasks or procedures. Establishing and ensuring worker awareness of these directions is a legal requirement for any hazardous activities, in most jurisdictions.

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An example of a task for which an SWI document should be available is the use of a forklift in a warehouse. Note that this is a set of instructions for a particular context, tailored to the workplace; it is in addition to general safety training for forklift use.

SWP is short for Safe Work Procedures.

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SWPs are sets of standardised procedures that identify health and safety considerations relating to the use of particular machinery or equipment, or to particular tasks or activities. These procedures are codified in what is sometimes also called Safe Work Instructions (SWIs) or Safe Work Method Satements (SWMS) and are a legal requirement for any hazardous activities, in most jurisdictions.

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An example of a task for which an SWP must be established is the use of a forklift in a warehouse. Note that this is a set of instructions for a particular context, tailored to the workplace; it is in addition to general safety training for forklift use.

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‍THA (Task Hazard Analysis) is a systematic process used to identify, evaluate, and mitigate risks associated with specific tasks or activities in the workplace.

By breaking down tasks into individual steps and analysing potential hazards at each stage, THA ensures that appropriate controls are implemented to prevent injuries, equipment damage, and environmental harm.

As a cornerstone of a robust safety management system, THA promotes a proactive approach to risk management, enhancing operational safety and compliance with regulatory standards.

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WHS is short for Work Health and Safety.

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The abbreviation is used in the context of

• Regulations: "Businesses need to be aware of WHS compliance requirements."
• Competency: "During the orientation, new hires receive comprehensive training on WHS best practices."
• Software: "myosh delivers cloud-based WHS solutions."