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MAC:
Russian occupational exposure limit defined as “Those concentrations of harmful substances in the air of the working area which will not cause any disease or deviation from a normal state of health of the workers or their offspring, detectable by current methods of investigation, either during the work itself or in the long term”.
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Machine:
An assembly of linked parts or components, at least one of which moves, with the appropriate actuators, control and power circuits, joined together for specific application, in particular for the processing, treatment moving or packaging of material.
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Macrophage:
A large phagocyte found in many organs and tissues which moves between cells and use the scavenger properties to collect and remove foreign bodies.
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Magistrates:
Ordinary men or women generally possessing no formal legal training who are selected from the population and appointed to act as peer judges of those accused of summary offences. See also Stipendiary Magistrate.
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Magistrates Court:
Venue for the adjudication of less serious criminal offences. As a court of trial between three and seven Magistrates try summary offences specified by particular statutes (eg s33 HASAWA). Penalties and punishments are limited by statute.
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Maintenance:
The activity of keeping equipment and facilities in a safe and reliable condition so that they can perform their function efficiently.
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Major Accident:
An occurrence such as a fire or emission or explosion resulting from uncontrolled developments in the course of an industrial activity which presents a serious risk to persons inside or outside the installation, or damage to the environment.
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Major Hazard1:
A general but imprecise term used to describe large scale industrial installations which have the potential for a major accident eg chemical or nuclear plants. Certain installations are specified in regulations.
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Major Hazard2:
A large scale industrial hazard whose realisation involves significant event, often a breach of containment.
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Major Injury:
A notifiable injury of a kind specified by regulation (RIDDOR) eg fracture of a major bone, amputation, loss of consciousness etc.
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MAK:
German occupational exposure limit defined as “The maximum permissible concentrations of chemical compounds in the air within a working area which, according to current knowledge, generally do not impair the health of employees nor cause undue annoyance”.
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Man Sievert:
See Collective Effective Dose.
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Management Oversight and Risk Tree (MORT):
An analytical technique developed in the nuclear industries which employs a formal, disciplined logic or decision tree which relates and integrates a wide variety of safety concepts systematically. It is based on the principle that accidents arise from either management oversights or assumed risks and develops fault paths along these lines.
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Manometer:
Device used for the accurate measurement of air pressures within a ventilation duct.
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Manslaughter:
Where a death has occurred but the wrongful act leading to it falls short of murder. See Voluntary Manslaughter and Involuntary Manslaughter.
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Maslow Abraham:
Management guru who proposed a dynamic concept of human motivation in the form of a hierarchy of needs which takes account of both personality variables and the process of social change.
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Mass Number:
The number of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
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Maximum Permissible Exposure (radiation):
The irradiance likely to cause detectable damage to the human eye or skin from exposure to optical radiation. Unit: Watt per square metre, symbol:
W m-2.
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Mayo (Elton W):
Management guru of the 1930’s who was a proponent of the human relations school of management.
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MBOCA:
Methylene-bis-o-chloraniline.
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Mean Duration Rate (MDR):
A statistic used to illustrate the average number of days lost per accident (of a specified type).
MDR = Total Number of Days Lost
Total Number of Accidents
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Mean Radiant Temperature:
The thermometer is housed in a black copper sphere(150mm) and allowed to come into equilibrium with the environment. It is possible to get an accurate measurement of MRT by calculation (complex!) or the use of a nomogram.
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Means of Escape:
Structural measures by which a safe route or routes are provided for persons to travel from any point in a building to a place of safety. See Alternative Means of Escape.
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Mechanical Hazards :
Machinery hazards classified by BS EN 292 including: crushing, shearing, cutting, entanglement, drawing –in, impact, stabbing, friction and abrasion, and high pressure fluid/ejection amongst others.
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Medical Surveillance:
Health surveillance under the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner. Certain requirements are specified by legislation eg CoSHH schedule 5.
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Medium Pressure (electrical):
Pressure in a system (UK) normally above 250 volts, but not exceeding 650 volts, where the electrical energy is used.
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Mens Rea:
A defined state of mind attributable to a person in the causing of the actus reus, - the guilty mind.
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Mercury ‘Sniffer’:
A direct reading instrument which draws contaminated air into an absorption chamber where it is exposed to ultraviolet light at 254nm. Mercury tends to absorb UV radiation and the degree of absorption if mercury is present is directly proportional to the concentration.
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Mesothelioma:
A notorious form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos especially in the form of crocidolite. It can occur at even small exposures with a latency period of up to 40 years. Mesothelioma is a prescribed disease and also reportable under RIDDOR.
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Metabolic Rate:
The rate of energy produced per unit area over the body.
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Metabolism:
A mainly beneficial process occurring in the liver, kidneys, lungs and skin which converts a toxic substance to a non-toxic one or vice versa eg: the skin converts some constituents in tar into carcinogens.
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MHSW:
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
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Micron:
A unit of measurement, one thousandth of a millimetre, one millionth of a metre (0.000001m).
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Micro-organism:
A microbiological entity, cellular or non-cellular which is capable of replication or of transferring genetic material.
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Mist:
Liquid droplets suspended in air. Usually generated by the condensation from the gaseous to the liquid state or by dispersing a liquid through agitation or atomizing.
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Mitigation:
Arguments put forward by the defendant after a guilty plea, or after being judged guilty, which promote extenuating circumstances or other favourable conditions in an attempt to minimise the penalty imposed.
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Mobile Crane:
A self propelled crane whose body is supported on a wheeled chassis. The jib is usually capable of rotating 360° and extending substantially to deliver loads in awkward places. Stability is provided by outriggers that should be lowered before a lift is attempted.
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Molecule:
The smallest portion of a substance that can exist by itself and retain the properties of the substance.
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Mond Index:
A way of ranking chemical plant hazards similar to the Dow Index. It takes account of circumstances other than processing, such a storage, loading and unloading. Toxicity hazards are also included.
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Motivation:
A decision-making process through which the individual selects desired outcomes and sets in motion the behaviours appropriate to acquiring them. Motivation has three main components: energising, directing and sustaining.
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mppcm:
Millions of particles per cubic metre, a numerical measure for dusts and other particulate matter.
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Mucociliary Escalator:
The lining of the upper airway which consists of microscopic hairs on the lining cells covering mucous membranes. Their activity maintains the movement of fluid over these membranes.
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Multi Causality Theory:
Modern trend in accident investigation and analysis which accepts the principle that accidents are usually the result of a number of interrelated causes, none of which can be described as the sole cause. The concept leads to a systems approach to accident investigation and prevention rather than the concentration on one specific causal relationship.
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Mutagen:
A substance which if inhaled, ingested or penetrates the skin may produce a risk of hereditable genetic defects ie a permanent change in the amount or structure of the genetic material which results in a change to the characteristic of the daughter cells.
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Mutagenesis:
A permanent change in the amount or structure of the genetic material (the ‘genotype’) which results in a change to the characteristics of the daughter cells (the ‘phenotype’).
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Mutation:
A chemical change in the DNA in the nucleus of a cell. Mutations in sperm or egg cells or their precursors may lead to inherited effects in children. Mutations in body cells may lead to effects in the individual.
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