Biological agent: Microorganisms, parasites, or materials derived from organisms that have the potential to cause injury or damage to the health of the worker, depending on the nature and type of exposure.
Examples: Bacillus anthracis bacterium, human T-cell lymphotropic virus, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease prion agent, Coccidioides immitis fungus.
Physical agent: Any form of energy that, depending on its nature, intensity, and exposure, is capable of causing injury or damage to the health of the worker.
Examples: noise, vibration, abnormal pressure, extreme temperature, ionizing radiation, non-ionizing radiation.
Note: Lighting, thermal comfort and acoustic comfort criteria from NR-17 do not constitute a physical agent for purposes of NR-09.
Chemical agent: Any chemical substance, alone or in mixtures, whether in its natural state or manufactured, used, or generated in the work process, which by its nature, concentration, and exposure is capable of causing injury or damage to the health of the worker.
Examples: cadmium fumes, mineral dust containing crystalline silica, toluene vapors, sulfuric acid mists.
Construction Site: A fixed and temporary work area where construction, demolition, or renovation activities are performed.
Employee: a person who performs non-occasional services for an employer, under the latter’s control and in return for remuneration.
Employer: a company or sole proprietorship which takes the risk for its economic activity, hires, remunerates and sets out the guidelines for the services provided by the employee. The self-employed professionals, charities, recreational associations or other non-profit organizations which hire workforces as employees are equivalent to employers.
Establishment: Private or public place, built or not, mobile or stationary, owned or belonging to third parties, where the company or organization carries out its activities on a temporary or permanent basis.
Hazardous event: An occurrence that has the potential to cause injury or health problems.
Work front: Mobile and temporary work area.
Workplace: Area where work is performed.
Work: Any construction, assembly, installation, maintenance or renovation engineering service.
Work Order: Written instructions on precautions to prevent occupational accidents or illnesses. The work order may be included in work procedures and other health and safety instructions.
Organization: A person or group of people with their own functions, responsibilities, authorities and relationships to achieve their objectives. It includes, but is not limited to, an employer, service provider, individual entrepreneur, rural producer, company, corporation, firm, authority, partnership, nonprofit organization or institution, or any part or combination thereof, whether incorporated or not, public or private.
Risk Factor / Source of Risk: A source that has the potential to cause injury or health problems. Element that, alone or in combination with others, has the inherent potential to cause injury or health problems.
Prevention: the set of provisions or measures taken or planned at all stages of the organization’s activities to avoid, eliminate, minimize or control occupational risks.
Technical person responsible for training: legally qualified professional or qualified worker, as defined in a specific NR, responsible for the preparation of qualifications and training.
Occupational risk: The combination of the probability of injury or damage to health caused by a hazardous event, exposure to a harmful agent or the requirements of the work activity, and the severity of that injury or damage to health.
Service area: The smallest administrative or operational unit within the same establishment.
Worker: a natural person in an employment relationship, including administrative relationships, such as employees and others without an employment relationship.