ESL Podcast 420 - Workplace Safety
memo - memorandum; a short, one-page written document used in offices to inform someone about a situation or decision without providing very much detail
If you have a suggestion for how our company can sell more, please write a short memo to the vice-president to describe your idea.
safety inspection - a period of time, usually one day or a few days, when people come to a business to look around and ask people questions, trying to determine whether the workers and customers are safe there
After the safety inspection, the company made all of its employees begin to wear special glasses to protect their eyes from the machines.
unsafe - not safe; dangerous
Sometimes it can be unsafe to mix the chemicals that people use to clean their home.
on-the-job - at work; at a place of business and while one is at work
Will the company provide any on-the-job training, or am I expected to know how to do everything when I start working there?
fatality - death
There were more than 300 fatalities when the boat sank in the middle of the ocean.
mortality rates - the number of people who die each year per every 1,000 people
In countries with poor health care, the infant mortality rate is as high as 184, meaning that 184 babies die for every 1,000 babies born.
hazard - danger; something that is dangerous; something that can physically hurt people
One of the hazards of fixing a roof is accidentally falling off.
remotely - a little bit; slightly; barely
The teenager cleaned his room, but it still smells remotely of old pizza and dirty socks.
dangerous - not safe; able to hurt or kill someone
That is a dangerous neighborhood, so we never walk around there at night.
to be cited - to be told officially that one has done something against the law; to be told officially that one has broken a rule
Hank was cited for driving too quickly on the freeway.
to shut down (something) - to make a business or organization close, so that it can no longer operate
The restaurant was shut down after customers complained that it was unclean and that there were rats in the kitchen.
with all due respect - a phrase used when one wants to say something that disagrees with another person or criticizes another person, but one does not what to hurt that person's feelings
With all due respect, I think what you did was wrong.
gear - the clothing that one wears for an activity, or the equipment that one uses for an activity
Rebbi bought a lot of new outdoor gear, like a sleeping bag and tent.
machinery - the equipment used to make, manufacture, or produce something
The factory has fast machinery that can fill 100 bottles each minute.
toxic - poisonous; with chemicals that are dangerous for one's health and can make one very sick
Vitamins can be toxic if you take too many of them.
violation - an instance where one has broken a rule or done something against the law
It is considered a traffic violation when people don't stop at a stop sign.
to comply with (something) - to obey a rule or law; to follow a rule or law; to do what one has been told to do
To comply with U.S. tax law, people must tell the government exactly how much money they receive for working.
safety standard - a rule that one must follow to make a place or activity safe
One of the restaurant's safety standards is that all employees must wash their hands before touching food.