Unit 13 Vocabulary — Health and Safety

Noun (thing)
Allergy
a medical condition in which a person's body cannot tolerate a certain substance
The chef had to prepare a special meal for the guest as he had an allergy to butter.
Noun (place)
Assembly point
an arranged point at which people should meet if a building is evacuated
The receptionist was in charge of making sure that all guests were present at the assembly point.
Noun (thing)
Bandage
a length of material which can be wrapped around a part of the body to either provide support or to ease bleeding
When she fell over she hurt her ankle, so the doctor put a bandage on her ankle to support it.
Noun (thing)
Burn
an injury caused by touching a very hot object
The best way to treat burns is to run cold water over the injury and then cover with a soft material.
Adjective
Contagious
easily caught or passed from one person to another
The room had to be sterilized after Mrs Jones checked out because it turned out that she was suffering from a contagious disease.
Noun (thing)
CPR
an emergency procedure which forces the heart or lungs to work by pushing down on the chest in a special way
After the lifeguard saved the little girl, he gave her CPR until the paramedics arrived.
Adjective
Designated
chosen for a particular job or purpose
In case of a fire, all guests should leave the hotel and meet at the designated area by the tennis courts.
Noun (thing)
Emergency exit
a way out of a building which can be used when other exits are not available
When you check into a hotel, you should ask where the emergency exits are located.
Noun (thing)
Fire drill
a simulation of a fire in which alarms are tested and the building is evacuated
The hotel carries out fire drills four times per year.
Noun (thing)
First aid
the process of giving initial basic medical treatment
All staff are trained in first aid, so if an accident happens they will know what to do.
Noun (thing)
First aid kit
a box containing basic equipment for treating minor injuries
The first aid kit is kept at the reception desk.
Noun (thing)
Food poisoning
the illness resulting from eating food which contains harmful bacteria
He was taken to the doctor with food poisoning after eating chicken which had not been stored correctly.
Noun (thing)
Heat stroke
a medical condition where a person's body loses its ability to regulate its temperature as a result of sun exposure and dehydration
Elderly people are more prone to heat stroke so they should sit in the shade instead of direct sunlight.
Noun (thing)
Hygiene
the practice of keeping things healthy and clean, usually connected to food and food preparation
There are very strict hygiene laws which the hotel has to follow.
Adjective
Inadequate
not enough or not sufficient
The health and safety training offered by the hotel was inadequate and as a result the staff were not able to cope with the problem.
Noun (thing)
Plaster
a small piece of material which can be stuck to the skin to prevent bleeding, or to stop a cut from becoming infected
Chefs usually use blue plasters because they are easier to see.
Noun (thing)
Prevention
the act of trying to avoid, or making sure that something doesn't happen
There are a lot of procedures in place to help with the prevention of accidents.
Proper noun (thing)
Risk assessment
a survey of a building or area which shows all possible risks, and details what can be or is done to prevent these risks
After the risk assessment, it was clear that the kitchen was the most dangerous part of the hotel.
Verb (infinitive)
Slip
uncontrollably sliding on a surface, potentially resulting in injury
She slipped on the wet floor and broke her leg.
Noun (thing)
Smoke detector
a small device which is usually mounted on the ceiling and sounds an alarm if there is any smoke near it
Modern smoke detectors can send a signal to the local fire station when they sense smoke.