OSHA Glossary
OSHA is the acronym for the Occupational Safety & Health Administration part of the United States government. The mission of this department is to “assure the safety and health of America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health.”
Workplace areas OSHA oversees include construction, electricity work, manufacturing, printing, refrigeration, wood production, and more. Occupations that are covered under OSHA must comply with the safety rules and regulations set forth by the agency. The safety and employment of teenagers, especially in agriculture and restaurant settings, also falls under OSHA jurisdiction.
Federal OSHA Glossaries
The Department of Labor (DOL) provides a number of eTools for use in complying with OSHA regulations and rules. Topics are listed alphabetically and many include industry-specific glossaries. The glossaries might be found within additional reference pages, under the heading “definitions” or under the heading glossary. It is important for everyone involved to understand frequently used terms. Glossaries listed with OSHA include:
- Lead: Secondary Lead Smelter eTool Definitions: A short glossary of words related to helping reduce employee lead exposure in the workplace
- Glossary of Logging Terms: Manual and mechanical logging terms that come up in the standards set by OSHA for safety in logging
- Oil Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool Glossary of Terms: Shortened from the Dictionary of Petroleum Terms provided by Petex and the University of Texas Austin, with illustrations and photos where needed
- Poultry Processing Industry eTool Plant Positions Glossary: A list of positions commonly found in poultry processing plants and related terminology
- Glossary of Respiratory Protection Terms: Terms found in this glossary relate to keeping workers lungs clear from chemicals or other hazardous exposures
- Scaffolding eTool Glossary: Terms related to scaffolding, including suspended and supported scaffolds, which are used in the construction industry
- Shipyard Employment Glossary: Definitions for words related to ship building, breaking, repair, and cleaning
- Silica eTool Glossary: Terms listed are used in speaking about silica exposure and prevention
- Steel Erection eTool Definitions: Terms that relate back to how steel is used in construction, including words found in topics like site preparation, cranes, structural stability, metal buildings, overhead hazards, fall protection, and training
- Sawmills eTool Definitions: Definitions relating to sawmills and wood production
A number of other glossaries can be found at OSHA’s eTool site, including glossaries for the printing industry, lead battery manufacturing, and electric power generation, transmission and distribution. A more general construction glossary is also found, along with a hospital glossary that lists terms related to safety in the health care industry. More safety glossaries, such as eye and face protection, can also be found on OSHA’s website.
State OSHA Plans
Not all states are governed by the federal OSHA rules and regulations. States that established their own job and work health and safety programs must have ones that are “at least as effective as” the federal standards. (http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/osp/faq.html#oshaprogram States) operating their own programs include:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Puerto Rico
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virgin Islands
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wyoming
To find out what the comparable OSHA standards are for each of these states or territories, visit the Regional & Area Offices section of the OSHA website to find out contact information for the local office. For example, clicking on Region 7 allows a user to choose which state. Choosing Iowa takes a person to a listing of information for the state, including contact information, the website address, and a list of PDF documents relating to areas covered by the state program.
Each state that has developed its own workplace safety standards may have their own list of definitions in glossaries. Visit the particular state’s website to find out if a glossary is available for online use.
YourDictionary Occupational References
YourDictionary.com provides a specialty dictionary section that includes a number of occupations and professions that are regulated by OSHA or a comparable state agency. Information on agriculture, carpentry, construction, energy, and more can be found by clicking on the topic title.
Although these references are not necessarily OSHA approved, they can help expand your understanding of various terms used in OSHA regulations or to give a more comprehensive look at the profession itself.