Norwegian version of this page

HSE terms

Definitions and terms used in the HSE field at UiO

Term Definition
Accident Adverse event involving personal injury or illness without sick leave, or with sick leave for fewer than 6 weeks, and / or minor damage to / loss of property, minor damage to the environment or a third party
Biological agents Living and dead microorganisms, cell cultures, endoparasites and prions which can induce infections, allergy or toxic effects in humans. Biological agents may have arisen naturally or may be genetically modified
Chemical inventory A collection of safety data sheets for all chemical substances and mixtures of substances in the organisation as well as information sheets of biological materials that are hazardous to health
Chemical substances Elements and their chemical combination with other elements, as they appear naturally or as the result of an industrial process
Computer glasses Special glasses used when working in front of a computer screen
Dangerous chemicals Chemical substances and mixtures of substances that can present a health, environmental, fire or explosion hazard
Exposure Exposure means that an employee or student has inhaled or become exposed to chemicals transferred through the skin or by swallowing
Field course A type of field work that will have many of the same HSE challenges as ordinary field work
Field work Collection and/or processing of data outside the normal place of work. Field work can be conducted both in Norway and abroad. A stay at another institution is not field work. Both employees and students can conduct field work.
Harmful chemicals Substances and mixtures of substances are classified as harmful chemicals if a single, brief exposure by means of swallowing, skin contact or inhalation causes permanent injury, without being fata
HSE deviation An event that has caused or could have caused personal injury, illness, death and /or damage to / loss of property, damage to the environment or harm / damage to a third party
HSE field HSE field includes the working environment (psychosocial, organisational and physical/chemical/biological), fire and electrical safety, pollution and radiation protection (regulated by the health, safety and environmental legislation)
HSE system The HSE system shall ensure that the organisation's activities are planned, organised, performed and maintained in accordance with the requirements laid down in or pursuant to health, safety and environmental legislation as well as internal objectives, policies and routines
Indicative occupational exposure values Administrative norm is the recommended maximum value for the average concentration of a chemical substance in the breathing zone of an employee, usually for a period of 8 hours. The norm is established based on health, technical and financial evaluations.
Information sheet Information on harmful characteristics, risk of infection as well as recommended safety measures and first aid
Job safety analysis Job safety analysis is a detailed review of a work operation to clarify which risk factors must be considered and how they should be managed, for example with training, safety equipment or personal protective equipment
Leading safety representative Leading safety representative: A safety representative who coordinates the work of the safety representatives within an organisational unit
Mixtures of substances Solutions or solid, liquid and gaseous mixtures of two or more chemical substances
Mutagenic chemicals Chemicals for which a causal relation between exposure to the chemical and inheritable, genetic damage to persons has been documented
Near-accident Adverse event that could have caused personal injury or illness without sick leave, or with sick leave for fewer than 6 weeks, and / or minor damage to / loss of property, minor damage to the environment or a third party.
Non-conformance Failure to fulfil a requirement
Observation An issue that does not represent non-conformance, but can be improved
Occupational injury /
occupational illness
Bodily injury or illness that has been caused by a work accident
Person responsible for the room The person responsible for the room shall monitor and have knowledge of the activities taking place in the room
Pregnancy benefit and facilitation subsidy Arrangements administered through NAV to be used when ordinary work can not be adapted
Protection sheet A short version of a safety data sheet
Reprotoxic chemicals Reprotoxic damage includes both reductions in male and female reproductive functions or ability, and non-inheritable damage to the progeny. Damage to the progeny includes in the widest sense any impact on the normal development of the progeny, both prior to and following the birth.
Risk Risk is defined in connection with the likelihood of an event occurring and the expected consequences of the event if it does occur
Risk assessment Risk assessment involves identifying dangers and adverse events, analysing and assessing risk and identifying measures that may curtail the risk
Risk management Risk management is a controlled methodology for ensuring that the objectives of the HSE work are accomplished
Safety data sheet Information on the innate characteristics of chemical substances and mixtures of substances as well as recommended safety measures and first aid
Safety round Determine the physical conditions existing in the place of work through a survey of the working environment
Serious accident Adverse event involving death, personal injury or illness with permanent or prolonged incapacity to work and / or damage to / loss of property, damage to the environment or a third party
Serious near-accident Adverse event which could have caused death, personal injury or illness with permanent or prolonged incapacity to work and / or damage to / loss of property, damage to the environment or a third party
Sources of radiation Radioactive sources, X-ray equipment, accelerators as well as magnetic field and other non-ionising radiation sources which may lead to the established limit values (in the regulations) being exceeded
Targeted health screening Health screening of employees who are subject to special exposure in their working environment
Toxic chemicals Chemicals for which there exists a significant likelihood of permanent injury (including death) following a single, brief exposure

 

Published Dec. 6, 2012 9:49 AM - Last modified Sep. 26, 2019 10:38 AM