"Make sure the new SWAG is reflected in your FTA in regard to GLP."
Right, I'll get on that right after I finish my BLT.
If you feel like you've exceeded the PEL for TLA's (three-letter acronyms), the Laboratory Safety Institute's quick reference glossary will hopefully save you from becoming DOA.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Letter A
| AA | Administering Agency |
| AA | Atomic Absorption (commonly used to refer to the instrument called an atomic absorption spectrometer) |
| AAS | Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy |
| ABC's | Airway, Breathing, Circulation; A reminder to first responders to "evaluate" victims before doing CPR |
| ABIH | American Board of Industrial Hygiene (issues CIH industrial hygiene certification) |
| ABSA | American Biological Safety Association, professional association |
| ACBM | Asbestos Containing Building Material |
| ACCSH | Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health |
| ACGIH | American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, professional association which establishes TLVs |
| ACHMM | Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials. The membership body to which belong those who are CHMMs. |
| ACM | Asbestos Containing Material |
| ACRSP | Association of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals |
| ACS | American Chemical Society |
| ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act |
| ADR | Alternative Dispute Resolution |
| AE | Atomic Emission see AES |
| AEL | Acceptable Exposure Limit |
| AES | Atomic Emission Spectrophotometry - Analysis by detection and quantitation of the characteristic electromagnetic emissions from atoms in a sample. |
| AFM | Atomic Force Microscopy |
| AG | Attorney General |
| AGA | American Gas Association |
| AGST | Above Ground Storage Tank |
| AHERA | Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986 (Title II of TSCA) US Federal legislation requiring all schools to determine the location and condition of asbestos containing material, and setting up procedures for issuing credentials to those who disturb asbestos for testing or removal. |
| AHM | Acutely Hazardous Materials |
| AI | Accident Investigator |
| AIChE | American Institute of Chemical Engineers |
| AIDS | Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome |
| AIHA | American Industrial Hygiene Association, Fairfax, VA. The broad professional association for Industrial Hygienists in the US and Canada, with local sections also in parts of Europe. This association is the largest professional Industrial Hygiene/Occupational Hygiene association in the world. |
| AIHCE | American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition. Annual, week long, professional conference jointly sponsored by the AIHA and the ACGIH in the spring. |
| ALARA | As Low As Reasonably Achievable, a philosophy applied to the control of exposure to ionizing radiation |
| ALCM | Associate in Loss Control Management, a credential issued by the Insurance Institute of America, which is located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA 19355-0770. |
| ALJ | Administrative Law Judge |
| ALS | Advanced Life Support |
| ANPR | Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking |
| ANSI | American National Standards Institute Publishes consensus standards on a wide variety of subjects, including safety equipment, procedures, etc. |
| AO | Administrative Order |
| APA | Administrative Procedure Act, 5 USC Section 551 et seq; Government Code Section 11340 et seq |
| APCD | Air Pollution Control District (California) |
| APCO | Air Pollution Control Officer, Health and Safety (H&S) Code Section 40750 et seq (California) |
| APF | assigned protection factor, used in the context of respiratory protection |
| APHA | American Public Health Association |
| API | American Petroleum Institute |
| APIH | Association of Professional Industrial Hygienists. Based in Tennessee, USA, this organization offers professional credentialing of industrial hygienists as RIH or RPIH under the Tennessee title protection law for industrial hygiene. |
| APPA | Association of (College and University) Physical Plant Administrators, a US professional association which, among its other activities, monitors government legislative and regulatory actions which may impact the academic community. (refers to itself now as The Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers) |
| APR | Air-Purifying Respirator |
| AQCR | Air Quality Control Region |
| AQMD | Air Quality Management District (California) |
| ARAR | Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (CERCLA) |
| ARB | Air Resources Board (Cal/EPA) |
| ARS | Agricultural Research Service (of USDA) |
| ASA | Accredited Safety Auditor, a credential issued by the International Loss Control Institute, which is located in Loganville, Georgia, USA. |
| ASAE | American Society of Agricultural Engineers |
| ASHCAT | Association of Safety & Health Consultants and Trainers Inc. |
| ASHRAE | American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air conditioning Engineers. Publishes a well regarded multivolume handbook which includes ventilation guidance, and standards on IAQ and other ventilation related issues. |
| ASME | American Society of Mechanical Engineers |
| ASP | Associate Safety Professional, designation given to one who has successfully completed the first half of the examination process for CSP. |
| ASPIS | Abandoned Site Program Information System |
| ASQC | American Society for Quality Control |
| ASSE | American Society of Safety Engineers, the national professional society for Safety Engineers in the US. 1800 E. Oakton St., Des Plaines, IL 60018-2187 USA Voice Phone - (708) 692-4121 Fax - (708) 296-3769 |
| AST | Aboveground Storage Tanks |
| ASTM | American Society for Testing and Materials |
| ATC | Automatic Temperature Compensation |
| ATCM | Air Toxics Control Measure |
| ATSDR | Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry an agency of the Public Health Service in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
| AWO | Animal Welfare Officer |
| AWT | Advanced Wastewater Treatment |
Letter B
| BACT | Best Available Control Technology, a term used in US environmental control regulations |
| BAT | Best Available Technology |
| BATEA | Best Available Technology Economically Achievable, terminology for sewage cleanup technology to be applied under Canadian Municipal-Industrial Strategy for Abatement, for cleanup of Great Lakes water sources. |
| BBP | bloodborne pathogens - Most often used in the context of a discussion of HIV and/or Hepatitis. |
| BBS | Behavior Based Safety |
| BCSP | Board of Certified Safety Professionals The certifying organization that issues the ASP, CSP, and COHST credentials following review of experience and successful completion of written tests. In addition to an exam in the Comprehensive Practice of Safety, specialty exams are offered in Safety Management, Fire Protection, and Safety Engineering 208 Burwash, Savoy, IL 61874 USA, (217) 359-9263 |
| BCT | Best Conventional Pollutant Control Technology |
| BLEVE | Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (or, for fun, Blast Levels Everything Very Effectively) |
| BLOSA | Beam Line Operations and Safety Awareness |
| BLS | Basic Life Support |
| BLS | Bureau of Labor Statistics, an agency of the US government which gathers statistical information on accident rates, among other things. |
| BMP | Best Management Practice |
| BNA | Bureau of National Affairs, Inc |
| BOD | Basic Oxygen Demand; also, Biological Oxygen Demand - the oxygen demand if a water sample is biologically oxidized |
| BOHS | British Occupational Hygiene Society, the national professional society of Occupational Hygienists in the United Kingdom |
| BPT | Best Practicable Control Technology Currently Available (CCAA) |
| BS | British Standards |
| BSC | Biological Safety Cabinet |
| BSI | British Standards Institute |
| BTU | British Thermal Unit, a traditional unit of measure for heat |
Letter C
| CAA | Clean Air Act, 42 USC Section 7401 et seq Federal); H&S Code Section 39000 et seq |
| CAIR | Comprehensive Assessment Information Rule (under TSCA) |
| Cal/EPA | California Environmental Protection Agency |
| Cal-OSHA | California Division of Occupational Safety and Health |
| CalTrans | California Department of Transportation |
| CAMU | Corrective Action Management Units (RCRA) |
| CAO | Corrective Action Order (RCRA) |
| CAP | Capacity Assurance Plan (RCRA) |
| CAP | College of American Pathologists |
| CAS | Chemical Abstracts Service (number) CAS is a Columbus, Ohio Publisher of Chemical Abstracts and other publications and services |
| Caustic | Able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action. |
| CAV | Constant Air Volume - chemical hood motor pulls constant cfm (or attempts to) |
| CBI
CBR |
Confidential Business Information
Chemical, biological or radiological hazard. Sometimes also referred to as NBC (Nuclear, biological or chemical hazard. |
| CCAA | California Clean Air Act, H&S Code Section 39000 et seq |
| CCAHT | Conseil Canadien d'Agrement des Hygienistes du Travail - see CRBOH |
| CCC | Compromised Container Caps, cracked or otherwise damaged screw-on caps for chemical containers. [This acronym invented 24 Feb 1995 by Jerry Mason, Chemical Management Officer, Brigham Young University.] |
| CCOHS | Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, a Hamilton, Ontario, Canada based organization offering a well regarded collection of MSDS on CD-ROM, as well as other H&S related services. telephone: 905-572-2981 FAX: 905-572-2206 Customer Service e-mail address - custserv@ccohs.ca |
| CCP | Cooperative Compliance Program |
| CCPS | Center for Chemical Process Safety - An organization established by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) to focus on engineering practices to help prevent and mitigate catastrophic hazardous chemical accidents. |
| CCR | California Code of Regulations |
| CD | Civil Defense |
| CDC | Center for Disease Control |
| CDC | Centers for Disease Control - Based in Atlanta, Georgia, this is the organization within the US National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service which specializes in recognition, evaluation and control of communicable diseases. NIOSH is part of CDC. |
| CEEL | Community Emergency Exposure Level A sort of PEL for a whole community; intended as a guideline for when evacuations are necessary in case of accidental releases |
| CEG | Certified Engineering Geologist |
| CEM | Continuous Emission Monitoring |
| CEPA | Canadian Environmental Protection Act |
| CEPP | Chemical Emergency Preparedness Program |
| CEPS | Cluster Environmental Protection Specialist |
| CEQA | California Environmental Quality Act, Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq; Title 14 CCR Section 15000 et seq |
| CERCLA | Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as Superfund. US Federal legislation establishing a huge EPA project to clean up hazardous material dumps. Makes generators responsible for how waste is ultimately disposed of. |
| CERCLIS | Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System |
| CESQG | Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator |
| CET | Certified Environmental Trainer, a credential issued by the National Environmental training Association |
| CFC | Chlorofluorocarbons, being phased out world wide because of their detrimental effect on the ozone layer. |
| CFM | cubic feet per minute, a unit of measure of air flow which is used in evaluating ventilation systems |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations, the official compendium of regulations issued by agencies of the US Federal Government. For example, 29CFR refers to the regulations isued by the Department of Labor, and 29CFR1910 refers to the General Industry regulations issued by OSHA, which is part of the department of Labor. |
| CGA | Compressed Gas Association |
| CGL | Comprehensive General Liability Insurance |
| CHEMTREC | Chemical Transportation Emergency Center - provides hazard information warnings and guidance in emergency (and ONLY emergency) situations. |
| CHLOREP | Chlorine Emergency Plan |
| CHMM | Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, a credential awarded by IHMM |
| CHO | Chemical Hygiene Officer The Administrator of a Chemical Hygiene Plan under OSHA regulations |
| CHP | Certified Health Professional |
| CHP | Chemical Hygiene Plan Required by OSHA, a statement of laboratory work practices written by each employer |
| CHP | Certified Health Physicist - A person who deals on a professional level with radiation safety. |
| CHST | Construction Safety and Health Technician |
| CI | Criminal Investigator |
| CID | Criminal Investigation Division |
| CIH | Certified Industrial Hygienist On good days certification reflects education, training and experience in the art and science of the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of health hazards in the workplace and community. On bad days it means you have a new appreciation for the "or should have know" part of liability law. On other days it simply means education, 5 years of experience and passing two brain straining tests. |
| CIIT | Chemical Industry Institute of Technology |
| Cl | Chlorine |
| CLMI | Comprehensive Loss Management Inc. of Minneapolis, Mn. 55447 A company that produced and sells a well publicized back injury prevention program. |
| CNG | Compressed Natural Gas, aka Methane |
| CO | Carbon monoxide |
| COD | Chemical Oxygen Demand - oxygen demand if a water sample is chemically oxidized. |
| COLIWASA | COmposite LIquid WAste SAmpler |
| COO | Conduct of Operations |
| CP | Command Post |
| CPC | Chemical Protective Clothing |
| CPL | Compliance Directive (OSHA enforcement instructions for inspectors) |
| CPR | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation |
| CPSC | Consumer Products Safety Commission, a US federal agency |
| CPWR | Center to Protect Workers' Rights A US based advocacy group located at 111 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Suite 509 Washington, D.C. 20001 202-962-8490 center@cpwr.com |
| CR | Case Report Number |
| CRBOH | Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists |
| CRSP | Canadian Registered Safety Professional |
| CRWQCB | California Regional Water Quality Control Board |
| CSA | Canadian Standards Association, the national consensus standards association for Canada is roughly the Canadian equivalent of ANSI in the US. It is located at 178 Rexdale Boulevard, Rexdale (Toronto), Ontario, Canada M9W 1R3 (416) 747-4044 |
| CSA | Campus Safety Association, now known as CSHEMA, a North America based association of people involved in providing health and safety services to colleges and universities. This is a subsidiary organization of the National Safety Council and members of the NSC in the US, Canada, and Mexico can join at no additional fee. |
| CSFM | California State Fire Marshall |
| CSHEMA | Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association, affiliated with National Safety Council |
| CSHO | Compliance Safety and Health Officer |
| CSM | Certified Safety Manager |
| CSP | Certified Safety Professional - the safety equivalent to a CIH. The initials CSP are also used by certified sales professionals, certified speaking professionals, and certified silly persons. The first two of these are for real, for the last I apologize to Monty Python. The Certified Safety Professional credential is issued by the BCSP (qv) |
| CSWMP | County Solid Waste Management Plan (California) |
| CTD | Cumulative Trauma Disorder |
| CUHWC | College and University Hazardous Waste Conference |
| CWA | Clean Water Act or FWPCA, 33 USC Section 1251 et seq;CA Water Code Section 13200 et seq (Porter-Cologne Act) |
Letter D
| dB | Decibels |
| dBA | decibels on the A scale, a unit of measure of sound intensity. |
| DCO | Document Control Officer |
| DEP | diethyl phthalate |
| DEQ | Department of Environmental Quality (Oregon) |
| DFA | Department of Food and Agriculture |
| DFG | Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Standards) |
| 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. |
| DHHS | Department of Health and Human Services, a Cabinet level department of the US Federal Government; the department in which CDC, and therefore NIOSH, is located |
| DHMM | Director of Hazardous Materials Management |
| DHS, DOHS | Department of Health Services |
| DIERS | Design Institute for Emergency Relief Systems - a consortium of companies under the auspices of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) that was formed to develop methods for the design of emergency relief systems to handle runaway chemical reactions |
| DIN | Deutsches Institut fur Normung (German Standards Institute) |
| DIPPR | Design Institute of Physical Property Data - a consortium of companies under the auspices of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) that sponsors the compilation, measurement, and evaluation of physical property data for industrially important compounds |
| DIS | Draft International Standards |
| DL | Driver's License |
| DM | dust and mist. This abbreviation refers to a respirator filter cartridge suitable for use against dusts and mists, and is used in the new NIOSH regulation on Respirator Certification. |
| DNFSB | Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board |
| DO | Dissolved Oxygen |
| DOA | Dead on Arrival |
| DOAS | Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy |
| DOB | Date of Birth |
| DOD | Department of Defense (Federal) |
| DOE | Department of Ecology (Washington State) |
| DOE | Department of Energy (Federal) |
| DOI | Department of the Interior (Federal) |
| DOJ | Department of Justice (California or Federal) |
| DOL | Department of Labor |
| DOP | dioctyl phthalate. The traditional test aerosol used for determining HEPA filter efficiency was an aerosolized form of warm DOP, selected because, when generated in the specified manner, the aerosol had a very narrow size distribution. |
| DOT | Department of Transportation, A US Cabinet level department |
| DPR | Department of Pesticide Regulation (Cal/EPA) |
| DRE | Destruction/Removal Efficiency |
| DSS | Department of Social Services |
| DTSC | Department of Toxic Substances Control (Cal/EPA) |
| DUR | Driving Under Revocation |
| DUS | Driving Under Suspension |
| DV | Domestic Violence |
| DVO | Diffuse Viewing Only |
Letter E
| EAP | Employee Assistance Program |
| EAP | Emergency Action Plan; or Employee Assistance Program - one which deals with employee substance abuse or other non-employment related problems affecting work performance and safety |
| EDP | Electronic Data Processing |
| EEOC | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission |
| EER | Excess Emission Reports |
| EGA | Enhanced Graphics Array |
| EHS | Environment, Health and Safety; or Environmental Health and Safety |
| EHS | Extremely Hazardous Substance |
| EIA | Energy Information Administration |
| EIL | Environmental Impairment Liability Insurance |
| EIR | Environmental Impact Report (CEQA) |
| EIS | Environmental Impact Statement (NEPA) |
| ELF-EMF | Extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields, a controversial area regarding the possibility of inducing cancer in exposed people |
| ELLPAT | Environmental Lead Laboratory Proficiency Analytical Testing |
| EM | Emergency Management |
| EMA | Emergency Management Agency |
| EMR | Electro-Magnetic Radiation |
| EMS | Emergency Medical Service |
| EN | European Norms |
| EOC | Emergency Operations Center - command post for large-scale campus and community emergencies/disasters |
| EOP | Emergency Operations Plan |
| EP | Extraction Procedure |
| EP TOX | Extraction Procedure Toxicity Test (RCRA) |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency An agency of the US Federal government which regulates chemical disposal, emissions to air,and water, and community pollution issues. |
| EPA # | Generator # for RCRA manifesting (Federal) |
| EPCRA | Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act Title III of SARA, [a US law] requires facilities storing Reportable Quantities of hazardous materials to report to the LEPC |
| EPDM | Ethylene-propylene terpolymer |
| EPR | Ethylene Propylene |
| ER | Emergency Room |
| ERA | Environmental Risk Assessment (for EIL) |
| ERC | Emissions Reduction Credit |
| ERG | Emergency Response Guide A document providing guidance on emergency response in a transportation incident involving a particular chemical. The term is used in the context of US Department of Transportation requirements. |
| ERP | Emergency Response Plan |
| ERPG | Emergency Response Planning Guideline |
| ERRIS | Emergency and Remedial Response Inventory System |
| ERT | Emergency Response Team |
| ES&H | Environment, Safety, and Health |
| ESA | Endangered Species Act, 15 USC Section 1531 et seq |
| ESA | Environmental Site Assessment |
| ESCBA | Escape Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus |
| ESD | Electrostatic Dissipative |
| ESP | Electrostatic Precipitators |
| ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival |
| ETOH | Ethyl alcohol, ethanol |
Letter F
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Question(s) |
| FDA | Food and Drug Administration (Federal) |
| FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency, an agency of the US government. |
| FEP | Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene |
| FI | Field Interview |
| FID | Flame Ionization Detector |
| FIFRA | Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, US federal legislation controlling the indicated pesticides. |
| FIP | Final Implementation Plan |
| FM | Fire Marshal |
| FM | Factory Mutual - a research organization created by a group of insurance companies and concentrating on protection of property. Very well known for its expertise on fire and its property protection standards. |
| FMCSR | Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations |
| FMEA | Failure Mode and Effect Analysis |
| FMECA | Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis |
| FOIA | Freedom of Information Act (Federal) |
| FONSI | Findings of No Significant Impact (NEPA) |
| FR | Federal Register |
| FR | Flame Resistant |
| FS | Forest Service |
| FS | Feasibility Study (CERCLA) |
| FSAR | Final Safety Analysis Report |
| FST | Field Sobriety Test |
| FTA | Fault Tree Analysis |
| FTIR | Fourier Transform Infrared |
| FTIR | Fourier Transform InfraRed A chemical analytical method which takes the complete emission spectrum of a sample at once and uses computer software to sort out signals and identify the components of the sample. |
| FTU | Fixed Treatment Unit |
| FWPCA | Federal Water Pollution Control Act, (CWA) 33 USC Section 12251 et seq |
Letter G
| GACT | Generally Available Control Technology |
| GAO | General Accounting Office (Federal) |
| GC | Gas Chromatography or Gas Chromatograph |
| GC/MS | Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectometry |
| GERT | General Employee Radiation Training |
| GFCI | Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter |
| GLC | Gas/liquid chromatography, also called GC |
| GLC | Ground Level Concentration |
| GLP | Good Laboratory Practice |
| gpm | Gallons per minute |
| GSA | General Service Administration |
| GW | Ground Water |
| GWPS | Ground Water Protection Standard |
Letter H
| H2S | Hydrogen Sulfide |
| HAPs | Hazardous Air Pollutants |
| HASP | Health and Safety Plan (required by OSHA at hazardous waste cleanup sites) |
| HazCom | Hazard Communication |
| HAZMAT | Hazardous Materials |
| HAZOP | Hazard and Operability (Study), a structured means of evaluating a complex process to find problems associated with operability or safety of the process |
| HAZWOPER | Hazardous Waste Operations Emergency Response |
| HAZWOPER | Hazardous Waster Operations and Emergency Response, a term derived from US EPA regulations. |
| HAZWOPER | HAZardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, a term derived from OSHA regulation 1910.120 |
| HBV | Hepatitis B Virus |
| HCA | Hazardous Communication Act |
| HCFCs | Hydrochlorofluorocarbons |
| HCl | Hydrogen Chloride |
| HCS | Hazard Communication Standard Policy of communicating to employees the potential hazards of substances with which they work, and a specific standard issued in the US by OSHA. |
| HDPE | High-Density Polyethylene |
| HEPA | High Efficiency Particulate Air filter At least 99.97% efficient in the filtration of airborne particles 0.3 microns in diameter or greater (the "or greater" is wrong) |
| HF | Hydrogen Fluoride |
| Hg | Mercury |
| HH&E | Human Health and the Environment |
| HHW | Household Hazardous Waste |
| HID | High Intensity Discharge |
| HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus |
| HMBP | Hazardous Materials Business Plans, H&S Code Section 25504 et seq |
| HMIG | Hazardous Materials Identification Guide |
| HMIS | Hazardous Materials Information System |
| HMRT | Hazardous Materials Response Team |
| HMTA | Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, 49 USC Section 1801 et seq; 49 CFR |
| HMTC | Hazardous Materials Technical Center (DOT) |
| HOC | Halogenated Organic Compounds |
| HP | Health Physist (radiation safety specialist) |
| HP | Hewlett Packard |
| HP | Highway Patrol |
| hp | Horse power |
| HPD | Hearing Protection Device |
| HPLC | High Performance Liquid Chromatography |
| HR | House Report (Federal bill originated in the House of Representatives) |
| HR | hazard ratio A term used in the new (1996) NIOSH regulation on respirator certification |
| HRD | Human Resource Division |
| HRS | Hazard Ranking System |
| HS | Hazardous Substance |
| HSA | Hazardous Substance Account of the California Superfund, H&S Code Section 25300 et seq |
| HSCAP | Hazardous Substance Cleanup Arbitration Panel, H&S Code Section 253561 et seq |
| HSO | Health & Safety Officer |
| HSWA | Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (1984 amendments to RCRA) |
| HVAC | Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning |
| HW | Hazardous Waste |
| HWCL | Hazardous Waste Control Law (California RCRA's counterpart H&S Code Section 25100 et seq) |
| HWIS | Hazardous Waste Information System (DTSC) |
| HWMU | Hazardous Waste Management Units (RCRA) |
| HWTC | Hazardous Waste Treatment Council |
Letter I
| IAFF | International Association of Firefighters |
| IAQ | Indoor Air Quality - a general term combining a multitude of issues related to complaints by the occupants of buildings about illnesses or discomfort resulting from being in the building. Typically, no single agent or easily recognized group of agents is present in excess of a PEL or TLV. |
| IARC | Internation Agency for Research on Cancer, affiliated with WHO |
| IATA | International Air Transport Association |
| IBR | Incorporated By Reference |
| IC | Incident Command |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
| ICC | Interstate Commerce Commission, an agency of the US Governemt The ICC bar is a horizontal bar at the rear of moderate and large trucks required by ICC regulation and intended to prevent a following automobile from sliding under the truch in a collision. |
| ICP | Incident Command Post |
| ICP | Inductively Coupled Plasma, an analytical method based on atomic emission. |
| ICS | Incident Command System Procedure for emergency management used by fire departments and other emergency response teams |
| ID | Inside Diameter |
| IDLH | Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health. As defined by NIOSH This represents a mazimum concentration from which one could escape within 30 minutes without any escape-impairing symptoms or any irreversible health effects. Note that the NIOSH definition addresses airborne concentration only. It does not consider direct contact with liquids, etc |
| IEC | International Electrotechnical Commission |
| IEUBK | integrated exposure uptake biokinetic model (lead levels) |
| IH | Industrial Hygiene (In Europe, this is usually called Occupational Hygiene) |
| IHIT | Industrial Hygienist in Training, designation given to one who has completed the first half of the examination process for CIH. Valid for no more than 10 years. |
| IHMM | Institute of Hazardous Materials Management. Responsible for Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) program and certification |
| IIPP | Injury and Illness Prevention Program (required under California regulations) |
| ILCI | International Loss Control Institute. Address is 4546 Atlanta Highway, P.O. Box 345, Loganville, Georgia 30249, USA |
| ILO | International Labor Organization, international agency of the United Nations which addresses labor issues. Has an interest in occupational safety and health issues, and publishes useful reference materials. |
| IMO | International Maritime Organization |
| IMS | Ion Mobility Spectrometry |
| INUR | Inventory Update Rule |
| IOHS | International Occupational Hygiene Society, international organization of national occupational/industrial hygiene societies |
| IOSH | Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, a UK based professional association. |
| IP | Industrial Plus |
| IPCC | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control |
| IPS | Iron Pipe Standard |
| IR | Infrared light or infrared spectrophotometer (IR is lower energy than visible, also known as heat waves) |
| IS | Interim Status (for a TSDF) |
| ISD | Interim Status Document |
| ISEA | Industrial Safety Equipment Association |
| ISO | International Organization for Standardization |
| ISTAS | Instituto Sindical de Trabajo Ambiente y Salud |
| IUPAC | International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry |
| IWMB | California Integrated Waste Management Board (Cal/EPA) |
Letter J
| JCAHO | Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Accreditation by this body is necessary for US federal research grants, medicare reimbursement, etc. |
| JHA | Job Hazard Analysis |
Letter K
There are no definitions for the the letter K.
Letter L
| LAER | Lowest Achievable Emission Rate |
| LANL | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| LAO | Location Administrative Officer |
| LC-50 | The concentration in air which is lethal to 50% of the test animals in a study. |
| LCD | Liquid Crystal Display |
| LD-50 | The experimental dose which is lethal to 50% of the test animals in a study. A convenient point of comparison between toxic materials with similar effects or target organs. |
| LDPE | Low-Density Polyethylene |
| LDR | Land Disposal Restrictions (RCRA) |
| LEA | Local Enforcement Agency |
| LEC | Local Emergency Coordinator |
| LED | Light-Emitting Diode |
| LEL | Lower Explosive Limit - The minimum percent by volume of a gas or vapor, which when mixed with air, will form a flammable mixture. |
| LEPC | Local Emergency Planning Committee |
| LIH | Licensed Industrial Hygienist, a title conferred under the Illinois (USA) licensing program for Industrial Hygiene. |
| LIMS | Laboratory Information Management System |
| LLDPE | Linear Low Density Polyethylene |
| LLRWPA | Low Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act, 42 USC Section 2021(b) |
| LOAEL | lowest -observed-adverse-effect level |
| LOIS | Loss of Interim Status (for TSDF) |
| LPG | Liquefied Petroleum Gas, aka Propane |
| lpm | Liters per minute |
| LRAPA | Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (Lane County, Oregon) |
| LRPO | Location Radiation Protection Officer |
| LSO | Laser Safety Officer - The person designated by a site where lasers are used, who has responsibility and authority to ensure the safe use of lasers. |
| LSI | The Laboratory Safety Workshop |
| LUFT | Leaking Underground Fuel Tank |
| LUST | Leaking Underground Storage Tank |
| LWDII | Lost Workday Injury and Illness |
Letter M
| M | Molarity (M) a unit of concentration equal to 1 mole of a substance in 1 L of solution. |
| MA | Molecular Absorption, Absorption of radiation by molecules. Examples of analytical methods using this property include : UV/VIS, IR, FTIR |
| MACT | Maximum Available Control Technology |
| MAWP | Maximum Allowable Working Pressure |
| MCL | Maximum Concentration Limits or Maximum Contaminant Levels (SDWA) |
| MCLGs | Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (SDWA) |
| MCS | Multiple Chemical Sensitivity |
| ME | Molecular Emission, emission of electromagnetic radiation by a complete molecule. Often called Fluorescence or Phosphorescence. |
| MECO | Modern Engineering Company |
| MEK | Methyl Ethyl Ketone |
| mg/m3 | Milligrams per meter cubed |
| mil | One mil equals 1/1000 of an inch |
| MIS | Management Information Systems |
| MIS | Master of Industrial Safety, the degree granted by the University of Minnesota (Duluth) to those who successfully complete the Master's program |
| ml | milliliter, also mL |
| MMAD | mass median aerodynamic diameter. |
| MOU | Memorandum of Understanding |
| mppcf | Million particles per cubic foot |
| MPRSA | Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, 16 USC Section 1431 et seq |
| MRP | Medical Removal Protection |
| MS | Mass Spectroscopy Identifies compounds by breaking them up into all combinations of ions and measuring mass-to-charge ratios at detector |
| MSA | Mine Safety Appliances |
| MSDS | Material Safety Data Sheet Provided by chemical manufacturers, required by OSHA to be available to workers |
| MSHA | Mine Safety and Health Administration, an agency of the US Department of Labor |
| MTB | Materials Transportation bureau of the US Department of Transportation |
| MTD | Maximum Tolerated Dose |
| MTU | Mobile Treatment Unit |
| Mutagen | an agent (as a chemical or various radiations) that tends to increase the frequency or extent of mutation (genetic damage) |
| MUTCD | Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices |
| MVA | Motor Vehicle Accident |
| MWA | Midwest Area (of USDA ARS) |
Letter N
Letter N
| NAA | Non-Attainment Areas (CAA and California CAA) |
| NAA | North Atlantic Area (used within USDA, ARS -United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) |
| NAAQS | National Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAA) |
| NACHO | National Association of Chemical Hygiene Officers |
| NAICS | North American Industry Classification System |
| NAS | National Academy of Sciences |
| NBAR | Nonbinding Allocation of Responsibility |
| NBC | Nuclear, biological and/or chemical hazard. Also sometimes referred to as CBR (Chemical, biological or radiological hazard) |
| NCIC | National Crime Information Center |
| NCP | National Contingency Plan (CERCLA) |
| NCRIC | National Chemical Response and Information Center |
| NDPES | National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System |
| NEBOSH | National Examining Board of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. In the UK, NEBOSH run a certificate and a diploma course. Anyone that attains the diploma can join the Institution as a full member |
| NEIC | National Enforcement Investigations Center (US EPA) |
| NEMA | National Electrical Manufacturer's Association |
| NEPA | National Environmental Policy Act, 42 USC Section 4321 |
| NESHAPs | National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (EPA, CAA) |
| NETA | National Environmental Training Association, a US based organization which issues the CET credential. |
| NFC | National Fire Code |
| NFPA | National Fire Protection Association publishes useful hazard ratings on many chemicals. Not a regulatory |
| NFR | National Fire Rating |
| NH3 | Ammonia |
| NHTSA | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| NiCad | Nickel Cadmium (battery) |
| NIEHS | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a component of the NIH |
| NIH | National Institutes of Health - the primary health research umbrella organization of the US government, consisting of a number of specialized institutes, the CDC, and the National Library of Medicine |
| NIHL | Noise Induced Hearing Loss |
| NIMBY | Not In My Backyard Syndrome |
| 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. |
| NIST | National Institute of Standards and Technology, a US federal agency in the Department of Commerce. NIST is the successor to the US National Bureau of Standards. |
| NMFC | National Motor Freight Class |
| NMR | Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy used to identify structures of organic compounds by seeing how they react to magnetic fields of various frequencies |
| NO2 | Nitrogen Dioxide |
| NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| NOAEL | no-observed-adverse-effect level |
| NOC | Notice of Commencement |
| NOS | Not Otherwise Specified, DOT terminology used in shipping names |
| NOV | Notice and Violation |
| NOX | Oxides of nitrogen. Also NOx. Term is used where the particular oxide is unimportant or where a mixture is being discussed. |
| NPA | North Plains Area (used within USDA, ARS -United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) |
| NPDES | National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (CWA) |
| NPL | National Priority List (CERCLA) |
| NPR | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, one step in the formal process of issuing regulations by US Agencies. |
| NPT | National Pipe Thread |
| NPTF | National Pipe Thread Fine |
| NRC | National Response Center (Federal) |
| NRC | Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the US Federal Regulatory Agency which deals with radiation and radioactive materials. |
| NRCC | National Registry of Clinical Chemists, administer CHO testing and certification |
| NREP | National Registry of Environmental Professionals, Glenview, IL, (708) 724-6631 |
| NRR | Noise Reduction Rating, used as a laboratory based indicator of the relative effectiveness of hearing protectors. |
| NRTL | Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory |
| NSC | National Safety Council, a US (Chicago) based safety organization dealing with industrial safety, school and college safety, transportation safety. The NSC has both organizational and individual membership and publishes a number of safety oriented pamphlets, journals, books, and data sheets. The image of a green cross on a shield together with the words "Green Cross for Safety" are trademarks controlled by NSC. Mailing address is: 1121 Spring Lake Dr.,Itasca, Illinois 60143, USA |
| NSF | National Science Foundation |
| NSF | National Sanitation Foundation |
| NSN | New Substances Notification - required for new substances under CEPA, the Canadian equivalent of the US's PMN |
| NSPS | New Source Performance Standards (CWA and CAA) |
| NSR | New Source Review (California CAA) |
| NTIS | National Technical Information Service |
| NTP | Normal temperature and pressure |
| NTP | National Toxicology Program, a program of the US government under NIEHS for the testing of chemical agents for long term toxic effects |
| NWPA | Nuclear Waste Policy Act, 42 USC Section 10101 et seq |
Letter O
| O&M | Operation and Maintenance |
| OAH | Office of Administrative Hearings (California) |
| OAL | Office of Administrative Law (California) |
| OAR | Oregon Administrative Rules |
| OBES | Office of Basic Energy Sciences (DOE) |
| OCMV | Open Container In Morot Vehicle |
| OD | Outside Diameter |
| ODP | Open-Dripproof |
| OECM | Office of Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring (US EPA) |
| OEHHA | Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (Cal/EPA) |
| OES | Office of Emergency Services (California) |
| OHMP | Occupational Health Maintenance Program |
| OLN | Operator's License Number (driver's licence) |
| OMB | Office of Management and Budget (Federal) |
| ONWI | Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (Federal) |
| ORM | Other Regulated Material (DOT terminology) |
| ORM | Other Regulated Materials Terminology used in hazardous materials shipping documents. |
| OR-OSHA | Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration |
| ORP | Oxidation Reduction Potential |
| ORPS | Occurrence Reporting and Processing System |
| ORR | Operational Readiness Review |
| OSA | Office of the State Architect (California) |
| OSC | On Scene Coordinator |
| 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. |
| OSHRC | Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, provides the ultimate administrative review of challenges to OSHA citations. Its decisions may be appealed to the US Federal Court system. |
| OSWER | Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, an agency of the US EPA |
| OTA | Office of Technology Assessment, a staff arm of the US Congress |
| OV/AG | Organic Vapor/Acid Gas (somewhat misleading term referring to capabilities of certain air-purifying respirator cartridges) |
| OWG | Operations Working Group |
Letter P
| PA/SI | Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation |
| PAH | Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons |
| PAGE | Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis |
| PAM | Performance Assessment Matrix |
| PAPR | Powered Air-Purifying Respirator |
| Part A | The overview portion of a TSDF HW permit application, under RCRA |
| Part B | The detailed portion of a TSDF HW permit application, under RCRA |
| PBR | Permit by Rule |
| PBT | Portable Breathalyzer Test |
| PBT | An additional meaning is "Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic" per US EPA |
| PCA | Property Clearance Assessment |
| PCB | Polychlorinated biphenyls (includes monochlorinated biphenyls, under US environmental regulations) |
| PCDF | Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans |
| PCE | Perchloroethylene |
| pCi/L | pico Curies/Liter |
| PE | Professional Engineer |
| PEA | Preliminary Endangerment Assessment |
| PEL | Permissible Exposure Limit, the maximum occupational exposure permitted under the OSHA regulations. |
| PETG | Polyethylene Terephthalate G Copolyester |
| pH | acidity/basicity pH = -log[H] where [H] is hydrogen ion concentration. A pH = 7 is neutral; pH > 10 is pretty alkaline; pH <3 is pretty acidic |
| PHA | Preliminary Hazards Analysis |
| PHA | Process Hazards Analysis - a general term describing the formal activity of reviewing, analyzing, and documenting the hazards likely to be associated with a particular industrial process. Often implies the use of a formal review method such as FTA, FMEA, HAZOP, etc. |
| PHS | Particularly Hazardous Substance (as defined in 29 CFR 1910.1450) |
| PID | Photo Ionization Detector |
| PIH | Poison Inhalation Hazard |
| PL | Public Law (Federal) |
| PM10 | Particulate Matter less than 10 microns in diameter |
| PMN | Pre-Manufacture Notification, required under TSCA. |
| POP | Performance-Oriented Packaging |
| Potential | Having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future. |
| POTW | Publicly Owned Treatment Works (waste water treatment) |
| POV | Privately Owned Vehicle |
| PPA | Performance Partnership Agreement |
| ppb | Parts per billion |
| PPE | Personal Protective Equipment Includes goggles, gloves, shoes, coveralls, respirators, hard hats, etc. |
| 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. |
| PRCS | Permit Required Confined Space |
| PRP | Potentially Responsible Party (Superfunds) |
| PSA | Preliminary Site Assessment |
| PSB | Public Safety Building |
| PSD | Prevention of Significant Deterioration (CAA) |
| PSDI | Presence Sensing Device Initiation |
| PSEL | Plant Specific Emission Limit |
| psi | Pounds per square inch |
| PSI | Pollution Standards Index (Air) |
| psig | Pounds per square inch gauge |
| PSM | Process Safety Management |
| PVA | Polyvinyl Alcohol |
| PVC | Polyvinyl Chloride |
Letter Q
| QA/QC | Quality Assurance/Quality Control |
| QRA | Quantitative Risk Assessment |
Letter R
| R&D | Research and Development |
| RAP | Remedial Action Plan (Superfunds) |
| RCRA | Resource Conservation and Recovery Act - US Federal legislation which regulates materials and wastes currently being generated, treated, stored, disposed or distributed. |
| RD | Reporting District |
| RD/RA | Remedial Design/Remedial Action |
| REA | Registered Environmental Assessor (California) |
| REE | Research, Education, and Economics (agencies of USDA) |
| REHS | Registered Environmental Health Specialist (California, formerly Registered Sanitarian) |
| REL | recommended exposure limit; This abbreviation usually refers to a recommendation formally made by NIOSH and published in a Criteria Document for a particular agent or category of agents. |
| REM | Registered Environmental Manager. This credential is administered through the National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP). To receive the REM designation, NREP requires you to submit copies of your college transcripts, listing of specialty training, two professional references and a description of your professional experience, and how it relates to environmental management. Then you can take a comprehensive test in environmental management |
| RFA | RCRA Facilities Assessment |
| RFI | Radio Frequency Interference |
| RG | Registered Geologist |
| RI/FS | Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study |
| RIH | Registered Industrial Hygienist, a title conferred by the State of Tennessee under its title protection legislation. (see APIH) |
| RMI | Repetitive Motion Injury |
| RMP | Risk Management Program The CAA requires major facilities to have a written program to prevent releases to the environment in case of an accident. |
| RMPP | Risk Management and Prevention Plan, H&S Code Section 25531 |
| RMS | Root Mean Squared |
| ROD | Record of Decision (CERCLA) |
| ROH | Registered Occupational Hygienist |
| ROHT | Registered Occupational Hygiene Technologist |
| RP | Reporting Party |
| RP | Responsible Party (CERCLA), 42 USC Section 9607(a) |
| RPIH | Registered Professional Industrial Hygienist, a title conferred by the State of Tennessee under its title protection legislation. (see APIH) |
| RQ | Reportable Quantity (under DOT CERCLA and SARA Title III) |
| RQG | Reduced Quantity Generator (100-1000 kg/mo) |
| RRPT | Registered Radiation Protection Technologist, a designation used in the US by those active in radiation protection in the Nuclear Power generation industry |
| RSI | Repetitive Strain Injury |
| RSO | Radiological Safety Officer or Radiation Safety Officer The individual designated for a particular site, where radiation is in use, who has responsibility and authority to ensure safe and appropriate use of radiation and radiation sources |
| RSPA | Research and Special Programs Administration |
| RTECS | Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, a registry maintained and issued by NIOSH, listing all published studies in which a toxic effect was reported. Study quality is not reviewed, and studies reporting no toxic effects are not included in the registry. |
| RTK | Right to Know -- May refer to an individual employee's right to know about the nature and hazards of agents used in the work place, and/or to the right of communities and their members to know about materials used and wastes generated by workplaces situated within or adjacent to the community. |
| RVP | Reid Vapor Pressure |
| RWQCB | Regional Water Quality Control Board (California) |
Letter S
| S&EP | Safety and Environmental Protection |
| SAA | South Atlantic Area (used within USDA, ARS -United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) |
| S.E.T.R.A.F. | Safety of Enclosures for Toxics using Recirculating Air Filtration |
| SADT | Self-Accelerating Decomposition Temperature |
| SAE | Society of Automotive Engineers |
| SAF | Safety Approval Form |
| SAR | Safety Analysis Report |
| 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. |
| SARA Title III | Emergency Preparedness and Community Right-to-Know Section of SARA, aka EPCRA |
| SB | Senate Bill (California) |
| SB 14 | Hazardous Waste Source Reduction and Management Review Act, H&S Code Section 2524412 et seq Porter-Cologne Water Code Section 13200 et seq Water Act Proposition 65 Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, H&S Code Section 252495 et seq |
| SBR | Styrene Butadiene Rubber |
| SCAQMD | South Coast Air Quality Management District (California) |
| SCBA | Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus |
| SCT | Spectrum Control Technology |
| SDS | 1) sodium dodecyl sulfate 2) Safety Data Sheet, new standardized replacement for Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) under global harmonization. |
| SDWA | Safe Drinking Water Act (Federal), 42 USC Section 300 et seq |
| SEAPPM | Safety and Environmental Administrative Policy and Procedures |
| SEC | Securities Exchange Commission |
| SEI | Safety Equipment Institute |
| SERC | State Emergency Response Commission |
| SHEM | Safety, Health, and Environmental Management |
| SHEP | Safety, Health, and Environmental Program |
| SIC | Standard Industrial Classification |
| SIP | State Implementation Plan (CAA) |
| SITE | Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation |
| SNUR | Significant New Use Rule, a regulatory term appearing in TSCA related considerations. |
| SO2 | Sulfur Dioxide |
| SOB | Souls on Board (aircraft) |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedures |
| SOT | Society of Toxicology, a US-based, international professional society |
| SOx | Oxides of sulfur. Used when the particular oxide is unimportant to the discussion, or when a mixture is being referred to. |
| SPCC | Spill Prevention, Control (or Containment) and Countermeasures |
| SQG | Small Quantity Generator (of waste), a status that relieves the generator of some EPA requirements |
| SR | Senate Report (Federal bill originated in Senate) |
| SRP | Scientific Review Panel (California) |
| SSE | Stationary Source Enforcement |
| STCC | Standard Transportation Commodity Code (used in rail shipment of hazardous materials) |
| STEL | Short Term Exposure Limit (chemical exposure) |
| STLE | Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers |
| STP | Standard Temperature and Pressure |
| SUD | Safe Use Determination |
| SWAG | Scientific Wild-Ass Guess (no offense please; this is truly a commonly used acronym in many fields of study, meaning, presumably, an educated guess) |
| SWA | Solid Waste Act (aka RCRA) |
| SWAT | Solid Waste Assessment Test |
| SWDA | Solid Waste Disposal Act (US legislation) |
| SWIS | Solid Waste Information System |
| SWMP | Stormwater Monitoring Program |
| SWMU | Solid Waste Management Unit |
| SWPPP | Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program |
| SWRCB | State Water Resources Control Board (Cal/EPA) |
Letter T
| TAC | Toxic Air Contaminant, 42 USC Section 7412; H&S Code Section 39655; Food & Ag Code Section 14021 |
| TB | tuberculosis |
| TCDD | Tetrachlorobenzo-p-dioxin, also called simply "dioxins" in the popular press. |
| TCE | Trichloroethylene |
| TCLP | Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure, a process specified by EPA for determining whether a material meets the definition of a toxic waste for regulatory purposes in the US. |
| TCPA | Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act (N.J.A.C. 7:31) This is legislation in the state of New Jersey which was a partial response to incidents such as that at Bophal, India and established requirements intended to reduce the liklihood of a catastrophic incident. |
| TDS | Totally Dissolved Solid |
| TEEL | Temporary Emergency Exposure Limit |
| TEFC | Totally Enclosed Fan-Cooled |
| TISE | Take It Somewhere Else Syndrome |
| Title III | (of SARA) Community Right-to-Know and Emergency Response Provisions (aka EPCRTKA) |
| TLV | Threshold Limit Value, an exposure limit recommended by the ACGIH to which it is believed nearly all workers can be exposed day after day for a working lifetime without ill effect. |
| TME | Test Marketing Exemption |
| TOC | Total Organic Carbon |
| TPCA | Toxic Pits Cleanup Act, H&S Code Section 25208 et seq |
| TPO | Temporary Protection Order |
| TPQ | Threshold Planning Quantity (SARA Title III) |
| TQ | Threshold Quantity Facilities releasing TQs or greater into the environment, whether intentionally as wastes or unintentionally in an accident, must report to the EPA |
| 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. |
| TRI | toxics release inventory, an inventory required under US environmental regulations. |
| TSCA | Toxic Substances Control Act (US legislation) |
| TSD | Treater, Storer, Disposer H&S Code Section 251233 |
| TSDF | Treatment, Storage, Disposal Facility (hazardous waste) |
| TSI | Transportation Safety Institute - US DOT Research and Special Programs Administration section offers classes in Oklahoma City, OK |
| TSR | Technical Safety Requirement |
| TSS | Total Suspended Solids |
| TTU | Transportable Treatment Unit |
| TWA | Time Weighted Average |
Letter U
| UBC | Uniform Building Code |
| UEL | Upper Explosive Limit |
| UFC | Uniform Fire Code |
| UGST | Underground Storage Tank |
| UGT | Underground Tank |
| UIC | Underground Injection Control, H&S Code Section 2515910, SDWA, RCRA |
| 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. |
| ULC | Underwriter's Laboratory of Canada |
| ULPA | Ultra-Low Penetration Air (filtration) |
| UM | Uniform Manifest |
| UN | United Nations |
| US EPA | United States Environmental Protection Agency |
| USC | United States Code |
| USCG | United States Coast Guard |
| USDA | United States Department of Agriculture |
| USDW | Underground Source of Drinking Water (SDWA) |
| USFDA | United States Food and Drug Administration |
| USM | United States Marchal |
| USP | United States Pharmacopoeia |
| UST | Underground Storage Tank |
| UV | Ultraviolet |
| UV | Ultraviolet (EM radiation slightly higher in energy than visible) |
| UVCE | Unconfined Vapor Cloud Explosion |
| UV-Vis | UltraViolet-Visible Spectroscopy in the visible and higher energies of light. |
Letter V
| VAV | Variable Air Volume - hood motor speed varies or damper action provides for variable cfms pulled, depending usually on face opening size or sash height. |
| VDT | Video Display Terminal |
| VEO | Visible Emissions Observation |
| VHAP | Volatile Hazardous Air Pollutant |
| VOC | Volatile Organic Compound |
| 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. |
Letter W
| WBGT | Wet Bulb Globe Temperature |
| WDR | Waste Discharge Requirements |
| WEEL | Workplace Environmental Exposure Limit |
| WHMIS | Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System This is a program is legislated by the Canadian government, which requires, among other things, the creation and availability of material safety data sheets. However, in several of the Canadian Provinces, many functions associated with Federal OSHA in the US are controlled instead at a Provincial level |
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| WPS | Worker Protection Standard - pesticide safety - Part 170 of Subchapter E, Chapter I of Title 40 CFR) (PDF format from EPA) |
| WQA | Water Quality Act of 1987 (Federal, FWPCA) |
| WSO | World Safety Organization |
| WWTP | Wastewater Treatment Plant |
Letter X
There are no definitions for the letter X.
Letter Y
There are no definitions for the letter Y.
Letter Z
| Z list | The OSHA table of Permissible Exposure Limits, so named because the tables are identified as Z-1, Z-2, and Z-3, and because they are found in "Subpart Z - Toxic and Hazardous Substances" of the OSHA regulations. This subpart contains 29 CFR 1910.1000 through 29 CFR 1910.1500. |