The terms used in this book, explained in a few words. In parentheses, the chapter where each one is covered.
- Action level: the exposure level at which regulations require measures, even though the maximum limit has not yet been exceeded. It is used, for example, for noise (Chapter 6).
- ATEX: the name given to the two European directives on explosive atmospheres: one for workers (1999/92/EC) and one for equipment (2014/34/EU) (chapters 3 and 5).
- Attendant: a person who stays outside a confined space while someone else works inside, monitors the situation and raises the alarm if something goes wrong (Chapter 7).
- Carbon monoxide (CO): an odorless, colorless gas that stored wood pellets can release. In enclosed storage it can reach deadly levels (Chapter 7).
- Confined space: a place with limited entry and exit, not designed for a person to stay inside, where oxygen may be lacking or gases or material may build up. Silos, hoppers and pellet storage rooms are typical examples (Chapter 7).
- Cross-contamination or carryover: residues of one product passing into another product made afterward on the same line, for example from a medicated feed to one that must not contain medication (Chapter 9).
- Dust hazard analysis (DHA): a systematic study of the places in a plant where there is combustible dust, to identify fire and explosion hazards and define the measures. NFPA requires it to be done and reviewed every five years (Chapter 3).
- Dust pentagon: the five conditions needed for a dust explosion: fuel, oxygen, ignition, dispersion and confinement (Chapter 3).
- Explosion suppression: a system that detects the start of an explosion inside a piece of equipment and puts it out in milliseconds (Chapter 3).
- Explosion vent: a panel or opening that bursts during an explosion and releases the pressure toward a safe place, so the equipment doesn't blow apart (Chapter 3).
- Grain entrapment: a situation in which a person sinks into the grain or material in a silo and cannot get out on their own (Chapter 7).
- Ground-fault / residual-current device (RCD): electrical protection that cuts the power when it detects a leak to ground, for example through a person's body (Chapter 5).
- HACCP: hazard analysis and critical control points. A method for identifying the hazards of a food or a feed and controlling them at the points in the process where they can be prevented (Chapter 9).
- Hazardous (classified) area: an area of a plant where an explosive atmosphere may be present. For dust, it is classified into zones 20, 21 and 22, depending on how often a dust cloud may be present (chapters 3 and 5).
- Housekeeping program: a written plan that sets how often, by what method and by whom accumulated dust is removed from the plant (Chapter 3).
- Interlock: a device that prevents a machine from running while a guard is open, or that stops the machine if the guard is opened (Chapter 4).
- Lockout/tagout (LOTO): a procedure to isolate all energy sources of a machine, apply locks and tags, and verify that it cannot start before working on it (Chapter 4).
- Mycotoxins: toxic substances produced by some molds in grains and forages. Some can pass from animal feed into milk or meat (Chapter 9).
- Noise dose: the amount of noise a worker receives during the shift, combining the level and the exposure time (Chapter 6).
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): items workers wear to protect themselves, such as hearing protectors, respirators, safety glasses, footwear and gloves. It is the last barrier, not the first (Chapter 10).
- Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle: the way management systems work: you plan, carry out, check the result and correct (Chapter 12).
- Secondary explosion: an explosion caused when a first explosion lifts the dust accumulated in the building and ignites it. It is usually the most destructive (Chapter 3).
- Self-heating: a temperature rise that occurs on its own inside a stored material, through chemical or biological processes, and can end in a fire (Chapter 8).
- Traceability: the ability to know where each ingredient came from and where each batch of product went (Chapter 9).
- Work permit: a written authorization for hazardous tasks, such as welding or entering a silo. It details the hazards, the measures and who authorizes the work (chapters 7 and 12).
