DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 14:23:36 +0000
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: david.iacovone**At_Symbol_Here**ATT.NET
Subject: Re: Abbreviations
Comments: cc: Ben Ruekberg
In-Reply-To: <D2C0173A401647C3A8295DD111AC7303**At_Symbol_Here**bruekbergterm1>
I agree with Ben. As an emergency response/hazardous waste site&
nbsp;oriented field chemist and as one who routinely functions as a trainer
/instructor in the areas of hazardous waste site cleanup, hazardous materia
ls response, and homeland security/domestic preparedness, we are bomba
rded with a ton of abbreviations which have multiple meanings that could ha
ve disastrous consequences. One of the abbrevations that is mistaken
quite frequently is fp, which, depending upon the reference, could mean eit
her flash point or freezing point. Some responders do not bother
to look in the index or abbreviation section and generally assume fp to be
flash point.
In fact, FEMA, when it comes to the Incident Command System (ICS), req
uires the use of full terms when necessary and discourages abbreviations if
possible understanding that abbreviations can have different meanings to t
he many different agencies responding to incidents. For example, NRC
could mean the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, National Response Center, or
National Research Council. One of the major sticking points has been
10-codes. The problem with 10-codes is that they are not standardized
and that can cause problems. An abbreviation section/addendum to any
plan (incident action plan, safety plan, etc.) usually alleviates a lot of
these problems, but misunderstandings still occur.
-------------- Original message from Ben Ruekberg <bruekb
erg**At_Symbol_Here**CHM.URI.EDU>: --------------
I must agree about am
biguity of abbreviations. Consider the nuclear industry (Health Physi
cs) acronym "ALARA,=" which I have seen interpreted as =E2
=80=9CAs Low As Reasonably Achievable=" and "As Low As Readi
ly Achievable.=" To me, there is a difference: "achiev
ement=" may be difficult but extremely worthwhile. In this cas
e, the difference could have serious consequences.
Ben
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of wdwatt**At_Symbol_Here**COMCAST.NET
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 4:3
4 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UV
M.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHA
S-L] Abbreviations
I think it is risky. There are to many
definitions of the same abbreviation or acronym out there. When I teach my
class on regulations, I tell them that LEPC means Local Emergency Planning&
nbsp;Committee, but when I was in industry, it meant that or Local Employee
Participation Committee, depending on to whom I was talking.
Dr. Bill
----- Original Message ----
-
From: "Mary Ellen A Scott" <mas35**At_Symbol_Here**CASE.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.
UVM.EDU
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 2:30:01 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mou
ntain
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Abbreviations
To Everyone,
What is your opinion
of allowing laboratories to use abbreviations and short hand as long as a key to those abbreviations is kept in a conspicuous
location and is clearly identified?
Thoughts? and Thanks
Mary Ellen
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