Workplace Safety
This three-letter acronym stands for the equipment you wear to protect your eyes, ears, and body.
What is PPE?
This process splits a heavy atom's nucleus into two smaller nuclei, releasing a massive amount of energy.
What is fission?
This black marker is supposed to be used so people don't accidentally "borrow" your lunch.
What is a Sharpie?
This team is responsible for inspecting parts and ensuring everything meets strict project blueprints.
What is the Quality Team?
This breakfast item is small, round, toasted, and usually comes from a bright yellow box.
What is a Cheerio?
This safety practice requires energy sources to be isolated and locked before servicing machinery.
What is Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)
This heavy metal, specifically its 235 isotope, is the primary fuel used in commercial nuclear reactors.
What is uranium?
If this popular, highly caffeinated beverage goes missing, it can cause a full-blown investigation on the factory floor.
What is an Energy Drink (or Monster/Celsius/Red Bull)?
Rushing a job to hit a daily metric often leads to this costly problem, which requires parts to be remade.
What is rework / a defect?
These small, round, colorful clothing fasteners are a classic choking—and nasal—hazard.
What are buttons?
This color diamond on an NFPA hazard label indicates a health hazard.
What is blue?
This is the term for the minimum amount of fissile material needed to maintain a nuclear chain reaction.
What is critical mass?
This science project of a food item has been sitting on the bottom shelf since the company holiday party three years ago.
What is a mystery tupperware (or moldy leftovers)?
If you notice a blueprint discrepancy or a bad weld, this is the correct action to take immediately.
What is stopping work and notifying a lead/quality inspector?
While green and technically edible, kids usually choose to shove the frozen or canned version of this vegetable up there.
What is a pea?
This document, kept near chemicals, details safety properties and handling instructions.
What is an SDS (Safety Data Sheet)?
Commercial nuclear plants generate electricity by using reactor heat to boil water, which turns this power-generating machine.
What is a turbine?
These tiny, plastic packets of flavor are piled high in a corner, stolen from various fast-food drive-thrus.
What are ketchup/mustard packets (or condiment packets)?
This term refers to the standard, approved method of completing a specific task to guarantee both speed and safety.
What is Standard Operating Procedure / SOP?
This tiny, shiny crafting item is notorious for getting stuck, causing parents to panic when their kid's nose starts glittering.
What is a sequin (or glitter)?
This is the very first thing you should do if you witness a major chemical spill.
What is evacuate the area (or alert supervisor/pull alarm)?
This ultra-thick dome of steel and concrete prevents radioactive materials from escaping into the environment during an accident.
What is the containment structure (or containment building)?
This passive-aggressive note is usually taped to a container of creamer or a sandwich when someone gets fed up.
What is "DO NOT TOUCH"?
Skipping this critical final step in a process to save five minutes is a high-risk gamble that hurts the company's reputation.
What is the final inspection/sign-off?
These tiny, silver, disc-shaped power sources are the most dangerous item on this list and require an immediate ER visit.
What are button batteries?