What Does It Mean?

IM, WWW, HTML, WAP

PPE, SCBA, QLFT, SAR

by Allan Kaufman, Director, The Compliance Resource Center

Have you ever hear of any of these terms, which people use all the time: IM, WWW, HTML, WAP (instant message, world wide web, hypertext markup language, and wireless application protocol)?  Today, the world is trying to shorten how we communicate to others.   Many people today, use common and uncommon acronyms, which can be very difficult for many people to understand, to shorten their communications.
Safety professionals also use many acronyms, such as PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), SCBA (Self-contained breathing apparatus), now it gets a little harder, QLFT (Qualitative Fit Test) and SAR (Supplied-air Respirator).  Often without explaining what we mean to people.  Safety, like other professions, use acronyms while often assuming that everyone knows what the letters or terms mean. 
Below is a list of acronyms used by many safety and compliance people.  The list is far from complete.  I hope you can use this to educate your safety people and add additional acronyms used in your workplace.More...
Safety Acronyms (terms in orange are associations or government agencies)
 
ABC- Airway, Breathing, Circulation, for first aid responder to check.AEL-Acceptable Exposure Limit

AHERA-Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986

ALCM-Associate in Loss Control Management

ANSI-American National Standards InstituteASSE-American Society of Safety EngineersAST-Above ground storage tanks

BBP-Bloodborne Pathogens

BLS-Bureau of Labor StatisticsBTU-British Thermal Unit, a traditional unit of measure for heat

CDL-Commercial Driver’s License, for driving trucks

CHMM-Certified Hazardous Materials Manager

CFR-Code of Federal Regulations, the official compliance regulations for a specific agency of the US Federal Government.

CIH-Certified Industrial Hygienist

CPR-Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

CSP-Certified Safety Professional

DB-Decibels

DFM-dust, fume, and mist. This abbreviation refers to a respirator filter cartridge suitable for use against dusts, fumes or mists, and is used in the new NIOSH regulation on Respirator Certification.
DOL-Department of Labor
DOT-Department of Transportation
EPA-Environmental Protection Agency
ERG-Emergency Response Guide book
FMCSR- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
GC- Gas Chromatography
GFCI-Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
HAZCOM-Hazardous Communications
HAZMAT-dealing with Hazardous Materials
HAZWOPER-Hazardous Waste Operations Emergency Response
HBV-Hepatitis B Virus
HPD-Hearing Protection Device
ICAO- International Civil Aviation Organization, for shipping hazardous materials internationally by air
IMDG-International Marine Dangerous Goods, for shipping hazardous materials by ocean vessel.
ISO- International Organization for Standardization
JHA- Job Hazard Analysis
LEL- Lower Explosive Limit - The minimum percent by volume of a gas or vapor, which when mixed with air, will form a flammable mixture.
LWDII- Lost Workday Injury and Illness
MCL- Maximum Concentration Limits or Maximum Contaminant Levels (SDWA)
MSDS- Material Safety Data Sheet provided by chemical manufacturers, required by OSHA to be available to workers
NFPA- National Fire Protection Association publishes useful hazard ratings on many chemicals. Not a regulatory agency.
NIOSH- National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health An arm of the US Centers for Disease Control, it does research and suggests guidelines for exposure control, but is not a regulatory agency.
NRR- Noise Reduction Rating, is used as a laboratory based indicator of the relative effectiveness of hearing protectors.
NSC- National Safety Council, a US (Chicago) based safety organization dealing with industrial safety, school and college safety and transportation safety.
OSHA- Occupational Safety & Health Administration, a part of the US Department of Labor, it regulates many job safety issues, including chemical handling and storage; also Occupational Safety & Health Act, the US Federal legislation which created OSHA (the Administration) and NIOSH.
PAPR- Powered Air-Purifying Respirator
PEL- Permissible Exposure Limit, the maximum occupational exposure permitted under the OSHA regulations.
PHMSA-Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of US DOT
PPE-Personal Protective Equipment
ppm- Parts of contaminant Per Million parts of air or other fluid. Usually called simply “parts per million” - a unit of measure of the concentration of one material mixed or dissolved into another. This unit may be converted to milligrams per cubic meter.
QA/QC- Quality Assurance/Quality Control
QRA- Quantitative Risk Assessment
RCRA- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act - US Federal legislation which regulates materials and wastes currently being generated, treated, stored, disposed or distributed.
RMI- Repetitive Motion Injury
SARA- Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act - US federal Legislation which reauthorized the “Superfund”, a fund intended to clean up existing hazardous waste sites. It also established a federal community Right to Know and tightened industrial reporting requirements.
SCBA- Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
SPCC- Spill Prevention, Control (or Containment) and Countermeasures
STEL- Short Term Exposure Limit (chemical exposure)
STP- Standard Temperature and Pressure
TQM- Total Quality Management, the name of a management system or philosophy involving the use of employee participation, Quality Committees, formalized problem solving methods, and a focus on product quality and customer requirements.
UL- Underwriter’s Laboratories, one of a number of agencies that test and approve various products for safety and then permit the manufacturer to display their seal on the product as an indication of that testing.
VPP- Voluntary Protection Program - An OSHA program which promotes excellence in workplace safety and health programs in exchange for limitations on scheduled inspections by OSHA.