EHS & Workplace Safety Glossary

Anomaly Detection

AI identification of unusual patterns, behaviors, or conditions that deviate from established baselines. In safety contexts, anomaly detection can identify unexpected gatherings, unusual equipment operation, blocked exits, or environmental changes that may indicate emerging hazards.

BBS

Behavior-Based Safety

A safety management approach that focuses on observing, measuring, and modifying worker behaviors to prevent injuries. BBS programs use peer observations, positive reinforcement, and data analysis to identify at-risk behaviors before they lead to incidents.

Confined Space

An enclosed area with limited entry and exit points that is not designed for continuous human occupancy. Confined spaces — such as tanks, silos, vaults, and pits — may contain hazardous atmospheres, engulfment risks, or other serious dangers requiring special entry procedures and permits.

Computer Vision

A field of artificial intelligence that enables computers to interpret and understand visual information from cameras, images, and video. In workplace safety, computer vision powers automated detection of hazards, PPE compliance, near-misses, and unsafe behaviors without requiring wearables or sensors.

DART Rate

Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred

Measures the rate of incidents severe enough to cause an employee to miss work, be placed on restricted duty, or transfer to a different job. Lower DART rates indicate fewer severe injuries and a stronger safety program.

EMR

Experience Modification Rate

An insurance metric that compares a company’s workers’ compensation claims history to the industry average. An EMR below 1.0 means better-than-average safety performance; above 1.0 means worse. EMR directly impacts insurance premiums and contractor bidding eligibility.

EU AI Act

European regulation governing the development and deployment of AI systems. Workplace safety AI is classified as high-risk, requiring conformity assessments, transparency documentation, human oversight, and ongoing monitoring. Enforcement began in phases from 2024.

Edge Computing

Processing data locally on-premise (at the “edge” of the network) rather than sending it to a centralized cloud. For workplace safety, edge computing reduces latency for real-time alerts, protects employee privacy by keeping video on-site, and ensures operation continues during internet outages.

GDPR

General Data Protection Regulation

The European Union’s comprehensive data protection regulation governing how personal data is collected, processed, stored, and transferred. It grants individuals rights over their data and imposes strict obligations on organizations, with penalties up to 4% of annual global revenue.

GenAI

Generative AI

Artificial intelligence capable of generating text, images, code, and other content. In workplace safety, GenAI enables natural language queries against safety data, automated report generation, and conversational interfaces for exploring incident trends.

Gennie AI

Visionify’s generative AI assistant that enables natural language interaction with your safety data. Ask questions like “Which shift had the most PPE violations last month?” and receive instant charts, summaries, and actionable insights without writing queries or building reports.

HACCP

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points

A systematic food safety management approach that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards throughout the food production process. HACCP is mandatory for meat, poultry, and juice processors and widely adopted across the food and beverage industry.

Hierarchy of Controls

A framework developed by NIOSH that ranks hazard controls from most to least effective: Elimination (remove the hazard), Substitution (replace it), Engineering Controls (isolate people), Administrative Controls (change procedures), and PPE (protect the worker). Higher-level controls are preferred because they don’t rely on human behavior.

Hard-Stop

Visionify’s PLC integration capability that automatically shuts down machinery when AI detects a safety violation — such as a worker entering a danger zone or missing required PPE near equipment. Hard-Stop closes the loop from detection to physical prevention in milliseconds.

ISO 45001

The international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S) management systems. It provides a framework for organizations to improve worker safety, reduce workplace risks, and create better working conditions. ISO 45001 replaced OHSAS 18001 in 2018.

JHA / JSA

Job Hazard Analysis / Job Safety Analysis

A systematic process for identifying hazards associated with specific job tasks, evaluating the risks, and determining appropriate controls. Each step of a job is broken down and analyzed for potential dangers to create safer work procedures.

LTIR

Lost Time Injury Rate

The rate of workplace injuries that cause an employee to miss at least one full day of work. Calculated similarly to TRIR but limited to lost-time cases. A key metric for benchmarking safety performance across facilities and industries.

Leading Indicator

Proactive safety metrics that predict future performance — such as training completion rates, safety audit scores, near-miss reports, and hazard observations. Leading indicators help organizations prevent incidents rather than simply counting them after the fact.

Lagging Indicator

Reactive metrics that measure past safety failures — including injury rates, lost workdays, and workers’ compensation costs. While important for benchmarking, lagging indicators alone cannot drive proactive safety improvement.

LOTO

Lockout/Tagout

A safety procedure that ensures dangerous machines are properly shut off, isolated from energy sources, and prevented from unexpected startup during maintenance or servicing. OSHA standard 1910.147 governs LOTO requirements, and violations are among the most frequently cited.

MSHA

Mine Safety and Health Administration

The US federal agency that regulates safety and health in the nation’s mines. MSHA sets mandatory safety standards, conducts inspections, and investigates accidents in coal and metal/non-metal mining operations.

Near Miss

An unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage but had the potential to do so. Near-miss reporting is a critical leading indicator of safety culture — organizations that capture more near-misses typically experience fewer serious incidents.

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

The US federal agency responsible for setting and enforcing workplace safety and health standards. OSHA conducts inspections, issues citations, and provides training and education. Key standards include Fall Protection (1926.501), Hazard Communication (1910.1200), and Lockout/Tagout (1910.147).

Object Detection

An AI capability that identifies, classifies, and locates specific objects within images or video frames. In safety applications, object detection recognizes people, vehicles (forklifts, cranes), PPE items, spills, smoke, and other safety-relevant objects with high accuracy.

PPE

Personal Protective Equipment

Equipment worn by workers to minimize exposure to workplace hazards. Common PPE includes hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility vests, gloves, steel-toed boots, hearing protection, and respiratory protection. PPE is the last line of defense in the Hierarchy of Controls.

PLC

Programmable Logic Controller

A ruggedized industrial computer used to control manufacturing machinery, conveyor systems, and other automated processes. PLCs receive inputs from sensors and execute programmed logic to control outputs like motors, valves, and alarms. They are the backbone of industrial automation.

Root Cause Analysis

A systematic investigation process for identifying the underlying causes of incidents, near-misses, or quality failures. Common methodologies include the 5 Whys, Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams, and Fault Tree Analysis. The goal is to fix systemic issues rather than just symptoms.

Real-Time Monitoring

Continuous AI analysis of live camera feeds with instant alert generation when safety events are detected. Unlike periodic manual inspections, real-time monitoring provides 24/7 coverage and catches events that human observers would miss.

SIF

Serious Injury or Fatality

Events resulting in life-altering injuries or death. SIF prevention is the primary focus of modern EHS programs because these incidents carry catastrophic human and financial costs. SIF-potential events are leading indicators that can be identified before a tragedy occurs.

SOC 2

Service Organization Control 2

An auditing framework developed by the AICPA that evaluates an organization’s controls for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. SOC 2 Type II reports cover an extended observation period and are widely required by enterprise customers.

Safety Culture

The shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors regarding safety within an organization. A strong safety culture means every employee — from the CEO to frontline workers — prioritizes safety in every decision. It is widely considered the most important factor in long-term safety performance.

Safety Scenario

A specific safety detection use case configured within the Visionify platform. Examples include PPE compliance, forklift safety, spill detection, fire/smoke detection, restricted zone monitoring, and ergonomic risk assessment. Each scenario uses purpose-built AI models optimized for that safety context.

TRIR

Total Recordable Incident Rate

An OSHA metric measuring workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers per year. Formula: (Number of recordable incidents × 200,000) / Total hours worked. A lower TRIR indicates a safer workplace and is commonly used in contractor prequalification.

VMS

Video Management System

Software for managing, recording, and viewing video surveillance camera feeds. Enterprise VMS platforms like Milestone XProtect and Genetec Security Center support hundreds of cameras, advanced search, and third-party integrations.