Department of the Interior
Departmental Manual
Effective Date: 3/12/99
Series: Safety Management
Part 485: Safety and Occupational Health Program
Chapter 29: Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
Originating Office: Office of Managing Risk and Public Safety
485 DM 29
29.1 Glossary of Terms. The following definitions apply to this and other documents related to the Department's Safety and Occupational Health Program unless specifically stated in the document.
ABATEMENT PLAN. A written plan identifying program deficiencies, a timetable for correction, the individual(s) responsible for correction, the steps to be taken in the interim, and an explanation of the circumstances causing any delay in abatement.
ABSTRACT OF SERIOUS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION. Without identifying the specific incident, provides a summary of what happened, the direct and indirect contributing causes, and recommendations for preventing similar accidents.
ACCIDENT. An unplanned event that results in injury, illness, death, property damage, or other loss that has a negative effect on the mission.
ADEQUATE RESOURCES. Include, but are not limited to: (See 29 CFR 1960.)
a. Sufficient personnel to implement and administer the Program.
b. Abatement of unsafe and unhealthful working conditions.
c. Safety and health sampling, testing and analysis.
d. Contracts to identify, analyze and evaluate unsafe and unhealthful conditions.
e. Program promotional costs.
f. Technical information.
g. Medical surveillance programs for employees.
AGENCY ADMINISTRATOR. The bureau facility/organization manager who has direct line authority over employee activity when and where a serious accident occurs. Examples of such administrators include: a National Park Service Park Superintendent, a Bureau of Indian Affairs Agency Superintendent, a Bureau of Land Management District Manager, and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Manager.
BUREAU. Major organization within the Department, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs; the Bureau of Land Management; the Bureau of Reclamation; the Minerals Management Service; the National Park Service; the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the U.S. Geological Survey; and [for the purposes of this Part 485] the Office of the Secretary.
CERTIFIED OR COMPETENT PERSON. See QUALIFIED PERSON.
CERTIFICATION. The process of testing an individual or system for compliance with established criteria.
COLLATERAL DUTY SAFETY AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH OFFICER. An employee who is charged with carrying out duties on a part-time basis that are normally performed by a full-time, professional safety and health employee.
CONTRACTOR. Any individual or firm under contractual agreement with the Department or its subunits for the performance of services, such as construction, landscaping, maintenance, and janitorial including subcontractors of a prime contractor.
DEPARTMENT(AL). The headquarters of the Department of the Interior and its bureaus.
DESIGNATED AGENCY SAFETY AND HEALTH OFFICIAL (DASHO). A person with sufficient authority to represent the interest of the organization and be responsible for the management and administration of the organization's safety and health program. The title is used herein alone to designate the Department level and is prefaced by "bureau" to designate a bureau level. Each bureau (including the Office of the Secretary) is represented on the DASHO Council. (See Chapter 9.)
DESIGNATED PERSON. One who has been trained or is qualified and is assigned the responsibility to perform a specific task.
EMPLOYEES. Individuals employed to accomplish work, including volunteers.
EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVE. Where employee unions exist, a member of the work force selected by his/her peers to represent them in the administration of the safety program. As an example, this individual can be a member of the formal workplace inspection team.
ENGINEERING REVIEW. Review by qualified personnel of the safety, environmental health, structural integrity, code compliance and fire protection aspects of major projects.
ENTRAPMENT. A situation where personnel are unexpectedly caught in a fire behavior-related, life-threatening position where planned escape routes or safety zones are absent, inadequate or have been compromised. An entrapment may or may not include deployment of a fire shelter for its intended purpose. These situations may or may not result in injury.
ESTABLISHMENT. A single physical location where agency business is conducted or where services or operations are performed. Where distinctly separate activities are performed at a single physical location, each shall be considered to be a separate establishment. Typically, it refers to a field activity, regional office, area office, installation or facility.
FACILITY. An establishment, workplace, building, structure, construction site or other work environment.
FACTUAL REPORT. A written report to a bureau head and bureau DASHO by the SAIT or TI completed with 45 calendar days of a serious accident. The Factual Report contains only the bare facts related to the serious accident without any inferences, conclusions, or recommendations. Copies of the Factual Report or factual information gleaned from the Report may be distributed to other bureaus and agencies by MRPS.
FIRST EXECUTIVE LEVEL MANAGER. A field manager at a high bureau executive level, such as a region/state/area/division director, who reports directly to the bureau head.
FORMAL EVALUATION/INSPECTION. A planned, scheduled review of the work environment and/or management procedures to determine the degree of implementation, enforcement and/or compliance with safety and health requirements. A written report addresses the findings, conclusions and recommendations for management action.
HEALTH EVALUATION. A medical examination, the scope of which is determined by a physician based upon an individual's age, sex, medical history and position requirements.
HAZARD. Anything which causes danger, peril, or risk to persons or property.
IMMINENT DANGER. Any condition or practice that could reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm before normal abatement actions can be taken.
INCIDENT. For reporting purposes, an unplanned event involving people, equipment, or the environment that could have resulted in an injury, illness, or loss, but did not.
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE. An occupational health science involving the identification, evaluation, and control of environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace that may cause sickness or impair health.
MAJOR PROJECT. Construction or research activity or new operation costing more than $100,000.
MAJOR ORGANIZATIONAL SUBUNIT. The first level under a bureau, such as a region or district.
MANAGEMENT REPORT. A written report by the Serious Accident Investigation Team (SAIT) or Trained Investigator (TI) to a bureau head and bureau DASHO completed within 45 calendar days of an accident. The Management Report contains all of the bare facts that are contained in the Factual Report, but also contains the results of the investigation - the SAIT or TI opinions as to why management control systems did not prevent the accident (if applicable), and recommendations for preventing similar accidents.
MOTOR VEHICLE. A motorized conveyance used primarily for transporting people and materials over the highway. Forklift trucks and dozers, as well as other vehicles used primarily for materials handling are not considered as motor vehicles.
PRELIMINARY NOTICE. A written notice to the Departmental DASHO by the involved bureau of a serious accident, as a follow-up to the initial telecommunications notification. The Preliminary Notice is forwarded within 48 hours of the accident and should contain only basic facts that are intended for information sharing purposes only.
PROGRAM. Department of the Interior's Safety and Occupational Health Program as specified in 485 DM.
PROGRAM GOALS. Short-term goals are those activities or levels of management performance to be accomplished within a year. Long-term goals are those expected to be accomplished within five years.
QUALIFIED PERSON. One who has received formal training and/or passed appropriate screening tests or has demonstrated competency that established the person's ability to perform the task in a safe and healthful manner.
REPRISAL. Any act of restraint, interference, coercion or discrimination against an employee for exercising his/her rights under Executive Order 12196 and 29 CFR Part 1960, or for participating in the Department's Safety and Occupational Health Program.
SAFETY AND HEALTH INSPECTOR. An individual trained to identify the unsafe and unhealthful conditions and acts in a facility or related to an operation.
SAFETY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. An individual who meets the requirements of Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulation TS-227.
SCREENING. The process (normally less formal than certification) of determining if an individual has the minimum knowledge, skill and ability to perform a task(s) in a safe and healthful manner without continuous supervision.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT. A fatality or imminently fatal injury or illness to an employee, or to any non-employee as a result of Department-related activities; 3 or more persons hospitalized in a single occurrence; or $250,000 or more of property damage related to Departmental operations or facilities, including cleanup costs and damage caused while mitigating the initial accident.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TEAM. A team of at least 4 members, appointed by a bureau DASHO with the assistance of the bureau safety manager, chosen to investigate a serious accident and to report the accident facts and corresponding conclusions and recommendations.
SERIOUS WILDLAND AND PRESCRIBED FIRE(S)-RELATED ACCIDENT. A serious accident that occurs during any wildland fire or prescribed fire activity, or to personnel working in direct support of these activities.
STANDARDS. Minimum requirements published by recognized authorities, Federal, State, or local government agencies, or by national consensus groups to which the Department is committed to implement where applicable.
TRAINED INVESTIGATOR. An individual (or a private sector or governmental investigative agency) appointed by a bureau DASHO to investigate a serious accident in lieu of a bureau DASHO-appointed Serious Accident Investigation Team (SAIT). Trained Investigators meet the qualifications and training requirements for SAIT Chief Investigators. Additionally, specialized investigative agencies can be chosen specifically because of being qualified in the type of loss occurring.
TRAINED PERSON. One who has the knowledge, skill and ability to recognize the hazards associated with the task and perform it in a safe and healthful manner.
TRAINING. The process(es) of increasing an individual's knowledge, skill and ability to a predetermined level of competence.
WORKPLACE. A physical location where agency work or operations are performed.
29.2 Acronyms
ANS American National Standards
ANSI American National Standards Institute
Bureau DASHO Bureau Designated Agency Safety and Health Official
CPR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
CDSHO Collateral Duty Safety and Occupational Health Officer
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CMV Commercial Motor Vehicle
COP Continuation of Pay
DASHO Departmental Designated Agency Safety
and Health Official
DM Departmental Manual
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FLETC Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
FPM Federal Personnel Manual
GS General Schedule
GSA General Services Administration
GVW Gross Vehicle Weight
IDP Individual Development Plan
JHA Activity Hazard Analysis/Job Hazard Analysis
MOCC Motorboat Operator Certification Course
MOICC Motorboat Operator Instructor Certification Course
MRPS Office of Managing Risk and Public Safety
NDR National Driver Register
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
NIOSH National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
NWCG National Wildfire Coordinating Group
OAS Office of Aircraft Services
OF Optional Form
OIG Office of the Inspector General
OPM Office of Personnel Management
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OWCP Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
PEL Permissible Exposure Level
PFD Personal Flotation Device
PHS U.S. Public Health Service
SAIT Serious Accident Investigation Team
SCUBA Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
SF Standard Form
SMIS Safety (and Health) Management Information System
TI Trained Investigator
TLV Threshold Limit Values
TWA Time Weighted Average
USCG U.S. Coast Guard
USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture
3/12/99 #3259
Replaces 6/10/91 #485A-1