Specialized Track · Career · Reference

Vocabulary Bank: Occupational Health and Safety

60 words and 52 real workplace phrases for this specialization, organized by topic. Tap the speaker icon to hear the pronunciation. Use this as a reference alongside your lessons — it's not graded.

On-Site Safety

Everyday workplace safety vocabulary.

hazard

something that could cause harm or danger

peligro, riesgo

PPE

personal protective equipment worn to prevent injury

equipo de protección personal

helmet

protective headgear worn for safety

casco

checklist

a list used to make sure steps are completed

lista de verificación

exit

a way out of a building, especially in an emergency

salida

inspection

a careful check to make sure everything is safe

inspección

accident

an unexpected event that causes harm

accidente

near miss

an event that could have caused harm but didn't

casi accidente

guardrail

a barrier that prevents falls

baranda de seguridad

signage

signs used to warn or inform

señalización

evacuation

leaving a building quickly during an emergency

evacuación

first aid

immediate care given for an injury

primeros auxilios

lockout/tagout

a procedure to disable equipment during maintenance

bloqueo y etiquetado

confined space

an enclosed area with limited entry or exit

espacio confinado

fire extinguisher

a device used to put out small fires

extintor

safety briefing

a meeting to explain safety rules and procedures

charla de seguridad

hard hat area

a zone where head protection is required

zona de casco obligatorio

spill kit

a kit used to clean up hazardous spills

kit para derrames

emergency contact

a person to call in case of emergency

contacto de emergencia

safety data sheet

a document detailing hazards of a chemical

hoja de datos de seguridad

Incident Management

Investigating and preventing incidents.

root cause

the original reason an incident happened

causa raíz

corrective action

steps taken to fix a problem after it's found

acción correctiva

risk assessment

a process to identify and evaluate hazards

evaluación de riesgos

compliance

following required rules and regulations

cumplimiento normativo

incident report

a written record of what happened during an event

reporte de incidente

investigation

a detailed examination of an incident's causes

investigación

mitigation

actions taken to reduce risk or harm

mitigación

safety protocol

an official set of safety procedures

protocolo de seguridad

audit trail

a record showing the history of a process

registro de auditoría

training record

documentation of an employee's completed training

registro de capacitación

hazard identification

the process of recognizing potential dangers

identificación de peligros

safety culture

the shared attitude toward safety in a workplace

cultura de seguridad

non-compliance

failure to follow required rules

incumplimiento

safety officer

a person responsible for workplace safety

oficial de seguridad

emergency response plan

a documented plan for handling emergencies

plan de respuesta a emergencias

workplace violence

aggressive behavior occurring at work

violencia laboral

ergonomics

designing tasks to reduce physical strain

ergonomía

occupational illness

an illness caused by workplace conditions

enfermedad ocupacional

safety violation

an action that breaks safety rules

infracción de seguridad

root cause analysis

a method to find the underlying cause of a problem

análisis de causa raíz

Environmental & Regulatory

Broader compliance and sustainability topics.

regulatory framework

the set of rules and laws governing an industry

marco regulatorio

environmental impact

the effect an activity has on the environment

impacto ambiental

emissions standard

a legal limit on pollutants released

norma de emisiones

due diligence

careful investigation before making a decision

diligencia debida

sustainability metrics

measurements used to track environmental performance

métricas de sostenibilidad

hazardous waste

waste material that is dangerous to health or environment

residuos peligrosos

environmental audit

a formal review of environmental practices

auditoría ambiental

carbon footprint

the total greenhouse gases caused by an activity

huella de carbono

permit

official authorization to carry out an activity

permiso

compliance officer

a person who ensures rules are followed

oficial de cumplimiento

Professional Self-Presentation

Vocabulary for interviews, self-presentation, and professional advocacy.

expertise

specialized knowledge and skill in a particular area

experiencia especializada, pericia

track record

a history of past achievements and performance

historial de logros

responsibilities

the duties and tasks someone is expected to handle

responsabilidades

qualifications

the skills, degrees, or experience that make someone suitable for a role

calificaciones, requisitos

strengths

the skills or qualities someone is particularly good at

fortalezas

professional growth

the ongoing development of one's skills and career

crecimiento profesional

career goals

the specific things someone wants to achieve professionally

metas profesionales

achievement

something successfully accomplished

logro

contribution

something someone adds or gives to a project or team

contribución, aporte

credentials

official qualifications or proof of expertise

credenciales

Everyday Safety

Common expressions on job sites.

follow the rules

"Everyone must follow the safety rules on site."

seguir las reglas

report an incident

"Please report any incident to your supervisor right away."

reportar un incidente

watch out for

"Watch out for wet floors near the entrance."

tener cuidado con

put on protective gear

"Put on your protective gear before entering the area."

ponerse el equipo de protección

in case of emergency

"In case of emergency, use the nearest exit."

en caso de emergencia

carry out an inspection

"We carry out an inspection every Monday morning."

realizar una inspección

stay alert

"Stay alert around moving machinery."

mantenerse alerta

follow procedure

"Always follow procedure when handling chemicals."

seguir el procedimiento

secure the area

"We secured the area before starting repairs."

asegurar el área

double-check equipment

"Always double-check equipment before use."

revisar el equipo dos veces

Investigating Incidents

Phrases used when reviewing safety events.

conduct a risk assessment

"We conduct a risk assessment before every new project."

realizar una evaluación de riesgos

identify the root cause

"The team worked to identify the root cause of the leak."

identificar la causa raíz

take corrective action

"Management took corrective action within 24 hours."

tomar acción correctiva

flag a near miss

"Workers are trained to flag every near miss."

reportar un casi accidente

enforce compliance

"Supervisors are responsible for enforcing compliance."

hacer cumplir la normativa

carry out a lockout procedure

"Always carry out a lockout procedure before maintenance."

realizar un procedimiento de bloqueo

mitigate a hazard

"We installed guards to mitigate the hazard."

mitigar un peligro

update the safety protocol

"We updated the safety protocol after the review."

actualizar el protocolo de seguridad

document the findings

"Please document the findings from the inspection."

documentar los hallazgos

close out an investigation

"We closed out the investigation this week."

cerrar una investigación

Compliance & Audits

Talking about regulations and standards.

ensure regulatory compliance

"We must ensure regulatory compliance across all sites."

garantizar el cumplimiento normativo

conduct an environmental audit

"An external firm conducted an environmental audit."

realizar una auditoría ambiental

reduce the carbon footprint

"The new process helps reduce our carbon footprint."

reducir la huella de carbono

meet emissions standards

"All facilities now meet the updated emissions standards."

cumplir las normas de emisiones

implement a management system

"We implemented a safety management system company-wide."

implementar un sistema de gestión

perform due diligence

"Legal performed due diligence before the acquisition."

realizar diligencia debida

maintain an audit trail

"Every change must maintain a clear audit trail."

mantener un registro de auditoría

align with international standards

"Our policies align with international safety standards."

alinearse con estándares internacionales

pass an inspection

"The site passed its annual safety inspection."

aprobar una inspección

obtain a permit

"We had to obtain a permit before starting work."

obtener un permiso

Emergency Response

Talking through an emergency situation.

sound the alarm

"Someone needs to sound the alarm immediately."

activar la alarma

evacuate the building

"Please evacuate the building calmly."

evacuar el edificio

call for help

"Call for help while I check on him."

pedir ayuda

assess the situation

"First, assess the situation before acting."

evaluar la situación

clear the area

"Clear the area — this could be dangerous."

despejar el área

provide first aid

"She provided first aid until paramedics arrived."

brindar primeros auxilios

account for all workers

"We need to account for all workers after evacuation."

contabilizar a todos los trabajadores

shut down the equipment

"Shut down the equipment before inspecting it."

apagar el equipo

isolate the hazard

"We isolated the hazard before continuing work."

aislar el peligro

notify management

"Please notify management as soon as possible."

notificar a la gerencia

Talking About Your Career

Common expressions to describe your role, strengths, and goals.

I'm responsible for

"I'm responsible for risk prevention and compliance across the occupational health and safety department."

soy responsable de

My main strength is

"My main strength is problem-solving under pressure."

mi mayor fortaleza es

I specialize in

"I specialize in occupational health and safety."

me especializo en

What I bring to the table is

"What I bring to the table is years of hands-on experience."

lo que aporto es

I've had a lot of success with

"I've had a lot of success with cross-team projects."

he tenido mucho éxito con

One of my proudest achievements was

"One of my proudest achievements was leading that project to completion."

uno de mis logros más importantes fue

I'm passionate about

"I'm passionate about occupational health and safety."

me apasiona

I'd like to grow into

"I'd like to grow into a leadership role."

me gustaría crecer hacia

I stay up to date by

"I stay up to date by reading industry publications."

me mantengo actualizado/a

In my experience,

"In my experience, clear communication solves most problems."

en mi experiencia,

I work well under pressure

"I work well under pressure and tight deadlines."

trabajo bien bajo presión

I'm a quick learner

"I'm a quick learner and adapt easily to new systems."

aprendo rápido