Glossary beginning with P
P
- Participation search for term
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In some jurisdictions, the health & safety committee or health & safety representative is required to participate in the development, implementation, and monitoring of a program such as a sun safety program. It is a stronger term than ’consultation’. As well, it is desirable for employees to participate generally in occupational health and safety activities. For example, a supervisor should encourage participation of employees in site assessment, job planning and so on. A buddy system is a good example of employee participation.
- Personal protection search for term
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Personal protection refers to any control measure worn or used by an individual worker to protect themselves. Personal protection is considered to be the last line of defense (in the hierarchy of risk controls) and should be only used when other control measures are not possible or have not provided sufficient protection. When personal protection is necessary, it should be used as part of a comprehensive personal protection program which includes elements such as hazard evaluation, selection, fitting, training and education, and maintenance and repair. Personal protection for sun exposure should provide a high ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) (for example, a UPF greater than 40) and provide coverage to as much of the worker’s body as possible. However, personal protection should also allow workers to stay cool during hot weather. Sun safe personal protection measures include: clothing, hats and hard hats, sunglasses and protective eyewear, sunscreen, and cooling wear.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) search for term
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Personal protective equipment is equipment used by a worker to provide personal protection. For sun safety it includes equipment to provide head protection (hats and hard hats), eye protection (safety glasses and sunglasses), skin protection (protective clothing), and cooling.
- Photokeratitis search for term
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Photokeratitis is an acute condition of the outer part of the eye as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation. It can be considered to be a ‘sunburn’ of the cornea and conjunctiva. It is specifically associated with exposure to UVB and UVC radiation. Following a latent period ( delay between exposure and symptoms) of between 6 and 12 hours, symptoms include inflammation of the conjunctiva, swelling of the eyelids, a sensation of ‘sand in the eye’, and photophobia (aversion to light). Corneal pain can be severe and can last up to 48 hours. Photokeratitis can be enhanced by airborne photosensitizers, such as coal-tar pitch and has been known to affect roofers. It also is known to occur when there is a high amount of reflected UV, such as off water or snow. It is also referred to as ‘snow blindness’ and ‘welders arc’ or ‘arc eye’ when associated with UV exposures from artificial sources such as welding arcs.
- Photosensitizer search for term
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A photosensitizer is a substance which, following exposure, results in abnormally high sensitivity of the skin and eye to ultraviolet radiation. These include a range of industrial chemicals, medications, and plants.
- Photosensitizer search for term
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A photosensitizer is a substance which, following exposure, results in abnormally high sensitivity of the skin and eye to ultraviolet radiation. These include a range of industrial chemicals, medications, and plants.
- Plan search for term
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The Plan step of the Model Sun Safety Program is the second of the six steps. It is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act model for improvement. The ‘plan’ step consists of actions which help to set-up the program. This step includes reviewing current processes and practices, gaining participation by workers at all levels within the workplace, conducting sun safety risk assessments and reviewing current control measures.
- Plan-Do-Check-Act search for term
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Plan-Do-Check-Act is a model of continual improvement which was developed by W. Edwards Demming, who is considered to be the father of quality control systems. It consists of four steps/phases (plan, do, check, act) in a continual implementation cycle. It forms the basis of occupational health and safety management systems and is the basis of our Model Sun Safety Program
- Policy search for term
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A policy is a guide to action, expressing important values or beliefs that should be followed by individuals in the workplace in order to attain stated goals and to provide consistency of decisions.
- Practices search for term
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Practices are typical or traditional work activities that are not as formalized as procedures.
- Prescribed search for term
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Where a duty in an Act (a statute) says to do something ‘as prescribed’, that almost always means ‘prescribed by the regulations made under that Act.’
- Preventive maintenance search for term
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Preventive maintenance is maintenance done on a regular basis without waiting for equipment or machinery to fail. The higher the risk of harm from equipment or machinery failures, the greater the need for preventive maintenance.
- Probability search for term
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Probability is “the extent to which an event is likely to occur”.1 It can be expressed as from 0 to 1, or it can be expressed as classes or ranks. See also likelihood and risk.
- 1. CSA Z1002-12 – Occupational health and safety – Hazard identification and elimination and risk assessment and control. CSA Group, 2014.
- Procedure search for term
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A procedure sets out the steps that must be taken to perform a task. Procedures are more formal than practices. They are often in written form. A procedure is usually an outcome of an assessment such as a job safety analysis.
- Process search for term
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A process is a set of interrelated or interacting activities that transforms inputs into outputs.1
- 1. CSA Z1002-12 – Occupational health and safety – Hazard identification and elimination and risk assessment and control. CSA Group, 2014.
- Procurement search for term
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Procurement is sometimes referred to as ‘purchasing.’ It means the activities involved in obtaining supplies for use in the workplace. In a sun safety program, items such as water, personal protective equipment, and sunscreen need to be procured and distributed effectively and efficiently. Seasonality is also an issue for procurement of supplies for sun safety.
- Program search for term
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A program is a set of coordinated activities and measures focused on addressing a specific hazard or set of related hazards. A program contributes to managing occupational health and safety within a workplace. This is a critical component of a workplace's occupational health and safety management system.
- Protective eyewear search for term
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Protective eyewear is industrial eye protection as described in Canadian Standard CSA Z94.3-15 Eye and Face Protectors. This provides protection to the eyes from impact, splashing, and radiation. Eye protection for exposure to bright sun is classified as Class 1A. This requires that the lens provides radiation protection and that there are fitted side shields that also provide radiation protection.
- Protective measure search for term
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A protective measure is “a means used to reduce risk”.1 Also see controls and control measures.
- 1. CSA Z1002-12 – Occupational health and safety – Hazard identification and elimination and risk assessment and control. CSA Group, 2014.
- Psychrometer search for term
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A psychrometer is an instrument consisting of wet- and dry-bulb thermometers for measuring relative humidity.