Glossary


Aerodynamic diameter: diameter of a sphere of density 1g.cm-3 with the same terminal falling velocity in the air, related to the particle in question, in the same conditions of temperature, pressure and relative humidity.

Bagging: a process during which products are put into bags (manually or automatically).

Control measures: measures carried out in order to reduce personal exposures of a workplace contaminant to an acceptable level.

Crushing: a process during which coarse material is broken down (crushed) into smaller fragments.

Dust: a dispersed distribution of solids in air, brought about by mechanical processes or stirred up.

Epidemiology: the study of the distribution and causes of health-related conditions and events in populations and the application of this study to control health problems.

Exposure: inhaled exposure results from the presence of an airborne contaminant in the air within the breathing zone of a worker. It is described in terms of the concentration of the contaminant, as derived from exposure measurements and referred to the same reference period as that used for the occupational exposure limit value.

Exposure assessment: the process of measuring or estimating the intensity, frequency and duration of human contact with airborne contaminants which may be present in the working environment.

Grinding: the minerals production process in which individual mineral grains are broken down to a required particle size, typically to a fine flour. The process is sometimes also referred to as “milling” since it is carried out inside a grinding mill.

Hazard: an intrinsic property of a substance with the potential to cause harm.

Health surveillance: the assessment of an individual worker to determine the state of health of that individual.

HSE: The United Kingdom Health and Safety Executive.

IARC: International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Inhalable dust (also referred to as Total inhalable dust): the fraction of an airborne material which enters the nose and mouth during breathing and which is therefore available for deposition anywhere in the respiratory tract (MDHS 14/2). The standard EN 481 gives the percentage of the suspended total particulate that can be inhaled according to particle size.

INRS: Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité.

ISO: International Standardisation Organisation.

Measurement: a process carried out in order to determine the airborne concentration of a substance in the workplace environment.

Measurement procedure: a procedure for sampling and analysing one or more contaminants in workplace air.

Milling: the minerals production process in which the lumps of mineral are broken down to individual grains. See also “grinding”.

Occupational exposure limit value: the maximum admissible exposure of a worker to an airborne contaminant that is present in the air in the workplace. It represents the maximum time-weighted average concentration of an airborne contaminant to which a worker can be exposed, measured in relation to a specified reference period, normally eight hours.

Personal protective equipment: equipment designed to be worn or otherwise held by the worker to protect him against one or more hazards likely to endanger his safety and health at work, or any addition or accessory designed to meet this objective.

Personal sampler (or personal sampling device): a device worn by a person that samples the air in that person’s breathing zone, in order to determine his personal exposure to airborne contaminants.

Pulmonary alveolar region: the gas exchange region of the lung, made up of approximately 300 million alveoli, or air sacs.

Prevention: the process of eliminating or reducing occupational health and safety risks.

Respirable dust fraction: fraction of an airborne material that penetrates to the gas exchange region of the lung.

Risk: likelihood that the potential for harm will be realised under the conditions of use and/or exposure.

Standard: Document elaborated by consensus and agreed by an approved organisation with standardisation activities. This document gives, for common and repeated practices, rules and guidelines on how an activity should be conducted.

Static sampler: sampling device positioned at a fixed point in the workplace for the duration of a measurement (as opposed to being worn by a person).

Thoracic dust fraction: fraction of an airborne material that penetrates beyond the larynx.

Workplace: the place intended to house workstations on the premises of the undertaking and/or establishment and any other place within the area of the undertaking and/or establishment to which the worker has access in the course of his employment (Directive 89/654/EEC).