Explore our comprehensive glossary of Occupational Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) terms. Understand key concepts with clear definitions and real-world examples to support safety professionals, students, and workplaces in building a safer, healthier environment.
t
- Temporary Works [TW] Temporary Works refer to engineered structures, supports, or systems used during construction, maintenance, or repair activities to provide stability, safety, or access. Temporary Works are the parts of a construction project that are needed to enable the construction of the permanent works(...) Read More
- Temporary Works Coordinator [TWC] A Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) is a competent person formally appointed by the contractor or organization to manage and coordinate all temporary works activities on a construction site, ensuring they are planned, designed, implemented, and dismantled safely and in compliance with(...) Read More
- Temporary Works Supervisor [TWS] A Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS) is a competent person appointed to assist the Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) and to supervise the implementation of temporary works on site, ensuring they are installed, maintained, used, and dismantled in accordance with the approved design and method(...) Read More
- Threshold A threshold refers to the lowest level of exposure or dose of a hazardous agent (such as a chemical, noise, or radiation) at which a measurable adverse effect on health begins to occur.Brief Explanation of the Term "Threshold"The concept of a threshold is vital for setting(...) Read More
- Threshold Limit Value [TLV] Threshold Limit Value (TLV) refers to the time-weighted average concentration to which most workers can be exposed daily for eight hours without experiencing harmful health effects. TLVs are published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and serve as(...) Read More
- Time-Weighted Average [TWA] The time-weighted average (TWA) is the employee's average airborne exposure in any 8-hour work shift of a 40-hour work week, which shall not be exceeded.Brief Explanation of the Term"Time-Weighted Average"A Time-Weighted Average (TWA) is an average exposure to a contaminant or hazard(...) Read More
- Tolerable Risk Tolerable risk refers to a level of risk deemed acceptable by society or an organisation in a given context, even though it is not negligible and could potentially cause harm. It implies a willingness to live with a risk to secure certain benefits, with the understanding that the risk has(...) Read More
- Toolbox Talks [TBT] A Toolbox Talk (also known as a TBT, or safety moment) is a short, informal safety meeting conducted at the worksite before the start of a shift or a specific task.Explanation:Toolbox Talks are not long training sessions; they are quick discussions (typically 5–15 minutes) focused on(...) Read More
- Toxicity Toxicity is the capacity of a chemical substance or a physical agent to cause injury or harmful effects (adverse health effects) on a living organism, including humans, animals, or plants, when exposed to a specific concentration at a particular site in the body. It depends on factors such as(...) Read More
- Toxicodynamics Toxicodynamics is the study of the mechanisms by which toxic substances affect the body, including how they interact with cells, tissues, and organs to produce harmful effects.It examines the mechanisms of toxicity, including biochemical and physiological changes, and helps determine the(...) Read More
- Toxicokinetics Toxicokinetics (TK) is the study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes (ADME) toxic substances over time. It examines the movement and fate of chemicals within an organism, helping to determine their potential health risks.Brief Explanation of the Term(...) Read More