Glossary

A control is something that is put in place to prevent, arrest, or mitigate unwanted events. A critical control is a control which:

• applies to an event that is considered critical to avoid, by way of being classified as a 'Material Unwanted Event' (MUE) or 'Priority Unwanted Event' (PUE), and failure of the control will result in a significant increase in risk, despite the presence of other controls

• controls for a multitude of unwanted events, some of which are MUEs/PUEs

An example of a critical control is a fire suppression system on an oil rig, because it satisfies the first criterion above.

A bow-tie diagram is a visual representation of the causes, consequences, and controls surrounding a hazard. Threats or causes that increase the likelihood of the unwanted event (risk) are mapped onto prevention measures (preventative controls). Consequences of the unwanted event are mapped onto recovery measures (mitigating controls).‍

A digital bow-tie diagram integrates critical risk management aspects interactively. It visually maps controls to risks and also generates digital records of these, subject to verification workflows. Where verifications fail, potentially triggered by field investigation responses, controls are highlighted. This allows at-a-glance monitoring of risk control states.

The purpose of a digital bow-tie is therefore to alleviate the administrative burden of monitoring controls and critical controls, as part of a critical control management (CCM) strategy.

EHS is short for Environment, Health, and Safety.

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The abbreviation is used in the context of

• Role descriptions: "James is a EHS Consultant at Standard Drilling Co."
• Content: "Safety Managers typically subscribe to at least one EHS news and blog article publication."
• Software classification: "myosh is a cloud-based EHS management platform"

The three topics are clustered in a collective term because they represent interconnected objectives that often rely on similar procedures for reporting, with professionals finding many of their skills in management of one area transferable to another.

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HSE is short for Health, Safety, and Environment.

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The abbreviation is used in the context of

• Role descriptions: "James is a HSE Consultant at Standard Drilling Co."
• Content: "Safety Managers typically subscribe to at least one HSE news and blog article publication."
• Software classification: "myosh is a cloud-based HSE management platform"

The three topics are clustered in a collective term because they represent interconnected objectives that often rely on similar procedures for reporting, with professionals finding many of their skills in management of one area transferable to another.

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HSEQ is short for Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality.

The acronym is used in the context of

• Role descriptions: "James is a HSEQ Consultant at Standard Drilling Co."
• Content: "Safety Managers typically subscribe to at least one HSEQ news and blog article publication."
• Software classification: "myosh is a cloud-based HSEQ management platform"

The four topics are clustered in a catchall acronym because they represent interconnected objectives that often rely on similar procedures for reporting, with professionals finding many of their skills in management of one area transferable to another.

ISO is the abbreviated name for The International Organization for Standardization.

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ISO is a worldwide federation of the national standardisation organisations of more than 160 countries. Their purpose is to "bring global experts together to agree on the best way of doing things".

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The term ISO is most commonly seen as part of a certification name, e.g. 'ISO 27001'. Organisations will typically obtain ISO certifications, via independent auditors, to demonstrate their adherence to recognised standards of practice. Sometimes it is seen in a format like 'AS/NSZ ISO 45001:2018', with the end indicating the year of publication (2018) and the prefix indicating incorporation of the international standard into the national regulatory framework, making it more relevant and applicable within that jurisdiction (Australia and New Zealand).

ISO 27001 is an international standard for managing information security. It specifies requirements to implement processes for managing risks through identifying potential threats, evaluating their projected impact, and developing mitigation strategies.

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It is commonly used in the context of specifying a certification: "myosh is ISO 27001 certified by independent auditors". It is often seen as a badge at the bottom of websites of organisations that handle client data, particularly sensitive data.

ISO 45001 is an international standard for managing occupational health and safety risks.

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It establishes criteria for elements like leadership commitment, worker participation, hazard identification and risk assessment, legal and regulatory compliance, emergency planning, incident investigation and continual improvement.

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It is commonly used in the context of specifying a certification: "[company] is ISO 45001 certified by independent auditors". It is often seen as a badge at the bottom of websites of organisations that seek to demonstrate their commitment to maintaining a high standard of workplace safety and health.

An incident is any event that could lead to or has led to an unintended or unplanned outcome. This can include near misses, unsafe conditions, and actual injuries or damages. Incidents are narrower in scope than events, but broader in scope than accidents and can encompass a range of occurrences, including:

• Near Miss: An event that did not result in injury or damage but had the potential to do so.
• Unsafe Conditions: Situations where safety protocols are not followed, posing a risk of harm.
• Property Damage: Damage to equipment, materials, or structures without causing injury.
• Environmental Harm: Where the environment is harmed, even when no people or property were in danger.

The concept of incidents is used in HSEQ context to help define when something that happened should be recorded for future analysis.

MUE is short for Material Unwanted Event.

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A material unwanted event is one that leads to, or has a significant likelihood of leading to high human, resource, or reputation costs. Particularly where the cost meets or exceeds the organisation's threshold for requiring the highest level of attention.

This term is commonly used in the resource and energy sectors. For example, an uncontrolled fire would be considered an MUE on an oil rig.

Organisations that face reasonable risks of MUEs will typically implement controls against these events, called 'critical controls'.

PUE is short for Priority Unwanted Event.

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A priority unwanted event is one that leads to, or has a significant likelihood of leading to high human, resource, or reputation costs. Particularly where the cost meets or exceeds the organisation's threshold for requiring the highest priority of attention.

This term is sometimes used in the the mining sector, although 'MUE' is a more common and synonymous term. For example, flooding would be considered an PUE for an underground mine.

Organisations that face reasonable risks of PUEs will typically implement controls against these events, called 'critical controls'.

SOP is short for Safe Operating Procedures or Standard Operating Procedures.

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SOPs are sets of standardised procedures that identify health and safety considerations relating to the operation of particular plant, machinery, or equipment. These procedures are codified in what is sometimes also called Safe Work Instructions (SWIs) or Safe Work Method Satements (SWMS) and are a legal requirement for any hazardous activities, in most jurisdictions. It has a similar definition to Safe Work Procedures, which is just a broader term that would be applied for general work tasks not necessarily related to operating machinery, etc.

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An example of a task for which an SOP must be established is the operation of a wide belt sander. Note that this is a set of instructions for a particular context, tailored to the workplace and the model/class of the machine; it is in addition to general safety training for dangerous machinery operation.

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SWI is short for Safe Work Instructions.

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SWIs are sets of standardised instructions that identify health and safety considerations relating to the use of particular machinery or equipment, or to particular tasks or procedures. Establishing and ensuring worker awareness of these directions is a legal requirement for any hazardous activities, in most jurisdictions.

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An example of a task for which an SWI document should be available is the use of a forklift in a warehouse. Note that this is a set of instructions for a particular context, tailored to the workplace; it is in addition to general safety training for forklift use.

SWP is short for Safe Work Procedures.

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SWPs are sets of standardised procedures that identify health and safety considerations relating to the use of particular machinery or equipment, or to particular tasks or activities. These procedures are codified in what is sometimes also called Safe Work Instructions (SWIs) or Safe Work Method Satements (SWMS) and are a legal requirement for any hazardous activities, in most jurisdictions.

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An example of a task for which an SWP must be established is the use of a forklift in a warehouse. Note that this is a set of instructions for a particular context, tailored to the workplace; it is in addition to general safety training for forklift use.

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WHS is short for Work Health and Safety.

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The abbreviation is used in the context of

• Regulations: "Businesses need to be aware of WHS compliance requirements."
• Competency: "During the orientation, new hires receive comprehensive training on WHS best practices."
• Software: "myosh delivers cloud-based WHS solutions."