| Term |
Explanation |
| CDM Regulations 2015 |
Regulations updated in April 2015 to ensure construction projects are designed & managed safely. Designers must follow the “General Principles of Prevention” and Contractors must have a Construction Phase Plan in place and suitable Welfare Facilities for the duration of the Construction Phase |
| Health and Safety Executive (HSE) |
Agency responsible for regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare |
| Local Authority (LA) |
Local Council who also have same responsibilities as the HSE |
| Client |
The person or organisation that requests construction work to be carried out |
| Domestic Client |
People who have construction work carried out on their own home, or the home of a family member that is not done as part of a business, whether for profit or not |
| Notifiable Project |
Project that lasts more than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point or the project exceeds 500 person days |
| Contractor |
A company or individual that carries out any construction work |
| Principal Contractor (PC) |
Main contractor on a project (If 2 or more contractors are on a project, 1 must be a Principal Contractor) |
| Principal Designer (PD) |
The Principal Designer has responsibility for co-ordination of health and safety during the pre-construction phase. A Principal Designer must be appointed for projects with more than 1 contractor |
| European Directive 92/57/EEC |
European Directive which prompted a change to the CDM Regulations to include Domestic Clients |
| Construction Phase Plan |
Plan created to document how health, safety and welfare is managed & controlled during the construction work. |
|
| Design |
Any drawings, information or specification produced to enable the project to be built |
| Tool Box Talk |
A small duration talk carried out on site with a relevant topic (e.g. working at height). Signatures of attendance to be recorded |
| Policy Statement |
A short statement on your company’s intention and commitment to ensuring work is carried out safely |
| Consultant |
A person or organisation that offers advice on health, safety, welfare or environmental issues |
| Professional Indemnity |
Insurance required by a consultant / designer to protect the consultant / designer from claims due to poor advice leading to incidents / design problems |
| IOSH |
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health – Organisation that health & safety consultants should be members |
| Management of H&S at Work Reg 1999 |
Places a duty on employers to assess & manage risks to their employees and others arising from work activities |
| Site Induction |
A talk (which is based on the site rules) given by the most senior person on site before anyone starts work on site |
| Risk Assessment |
An assessment of the hazards on site and how they are to be controlled to eliminate or reduce the risk |
| Noise Assessment |
An assessment of noisy activities to ensure that long term hearing loss is avoided |
| Manual Handling Assessment |
An assessment of any handling / lifting of heavy objects on site to ensure no harm is done when manually moving the objects |
| Vibration Assessment |
An assessment of any vibrating hand tool that can lead to nerve damage to the finger tips (white finger) |
| COSHH Assessment |
An assessment of any materials / chemicals on site that can physically harm you or cause long term effects |
| Method Statement |
A document which sets out how a job will be carried out (a step by step method) |
| Accident |
An incident on site that injures a person or persons (accidents can also be fatalities) |
| Near Miss |
Any incident on site that had the potential to injure someone, but nobody was actually physically injured. We can learn from Near Miss Reports to prevent accidents in future |
| Permit |
A safe system of work to control a particularly hazardous job. (e.g. permit to work at height, permit to dig.etc) |
| Waste Transfer Note |
A legal document required when transferring waste from site to another location |
| Working at Height |
Any work where there is a potential to fall causing injury |
| Edge Protection |
Hand rails required where practicable to stop any falls from height by persons |
| Demolition |
Any work where a part of a building / structure is removed |
| Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) |
Work wear required to help protect the workers from potential injury (e.g. hard hat to avoid head injuries) – PPE is always a last resort when it comes to controlling hazards |
| Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) |
e.g. Dust Masks. Required when working in areas where harmful dust or fumes etc can enter the lungs |
| Face Fit Test |
Test carried out on RPE to ensure it fits properly on the face. Legal requirement. All different RPE worn must be face fit tested. Note: Having a beard or stubble can affect the fit of the RPE and limit its use for protection from dust / fumes.etc |
| CITB |
Construction Industry Training Board – Organisation that helps construction works achieve training & qualifications |
| CSCS Card |
Most common card required to prove that an operative has received some basic health and safety training |
| CPCS Card |
Similar to CSCS Card but for plant operatives (card will show which plant they can operate, e.g. Dumper) |
| CCDO Card |
Similar to CSCS Card but specifically for operatives carrying out demolition works |
| CISRS Card |
Similar to CSCS Card but specifically for scaffolding erection operatives |
| ECS Card |
Similar to CSCS Card but specifically for electricians |
| JIB-PMES Card |
Similar to CSCS Card but specifically for plumbers and mechanical engineering operatives |
