Rank: Forum user 
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I was just wondering why forum contributors in the majority of cases insist on just using abbreviations or acronyms in their posts?
I feel sure that most readers will understand most of the abbreviations but I for one will admit that I am somewhat flummoxed by a lot of what abbreviations are used.
Could the poster start of by using the full title ie: "Work At Height" and than proceed to use WAH ?
Some of the terminology and jargon can be a little perplexing to say the least.
I'm sure that even seasoned practitioners would struggle with all the abbreviations covering all aspects of "Health and Safety" H&S.
Other opinions are welcome.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I agree and have mentioned exactly that a couple of times in the past. Acronyms are a minefield as comically demonstrated at the Levenson Enquiry when it turned out David Cameron (wrongly) thought "LOL" was an acronym for " Lots Of Love" - LOL
Jim
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Would you also propose a renaming of the forum itself, then?
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Rank: Forum user 
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I know its not Friday, but.....
In my opinion there are far too many TLAs (three letter acronyms!)
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Rank: Super forum user
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Agreed, I hate trying to read text that has acronyms in it, especially when it is not something I'm familiar with. I have a real problem remembering what acronyms mean, maybe it's a form of dyslexia.
Whilst we're on the subject, could future writers who invent terms that ultimately become acronyms please use better words!
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Rank: Super forum user
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A few years ago, I found that I was using loads of acronyms in work emails that no-one had the faintest idea as to what they alluded to.
It turned out that on a social (motorcycle) chat forum that I frequented at the time, it became the norm (over time) to start abbreviating a series of often used words/ phrases to an acronym. These became natural to use over time, with the end result that they spilled over into my work environment. When I mentioned this, a lot of the other users admitted the same. In my humble opinion (IMHO), this is easily done and as I understand it (AIUI), is quite common.
If I recall correctly (IIRC), there were dozens of other acronyms; some I can no longer remember, and some which - if you did work them out - would probably not be suitable for this forum.
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Rank: Forum user 
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I agree.
People using acronyms and abbreviations are , in my experience, often just showing off. They know something you don't thereby making anyone who has to ask what it means to feel inferior.
"oh I'm sorry, aren't you familiar with the Use of Obscure Acronyms Regulation and reform act of 1895, paragraph 2 sub section IV?.. You must be very lacking in knowledge compared to me and my VAST knowledge of all things minor and petty"
At least that's what I read when I see sentences with 3, 4 or more abbreviations in them.
Many people come here for help and advice who do not do Elf 'n safety on a daily basis as part of their job.
To put barriers in their way hardly does us a good turn and makes us all look like fully qualified, pedantic pen pushers.
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Rank: Forum user
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roshqse wrote:I agree.
makes us all look like fully qualified, pedantic pen pushers.
I think thats describes me ?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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It's something that can be a particularly serious issue and those who mock should be ashamed.
Much of my work is in the medical malpractice/misadventure arena. Spending day after day pouring over patient case files to see what went wrong, I am frequently presented with a whole array of generally non-standard abbreviations. These are often ill-defined or not defined at all, and may be known only to the originator. They are often not exclusive and thus may have several interpretations one of which could be harmful or, in extremis, may have been fatal.
The same is true for many of the various technical reports and worksheets that I see when taking a case from the environmental or occupational sectors. Written by those with an inability in grammar, punctuation and spelling, and no idea of presentation, with the most appalling handwriting scrawled in a pen that ran out of ink several days previously, I'm often appalled at the faith to which so many people place in this rubbish.
So often, it isn't worth the paper it is written on and the case is lost. I imagine those who are mocking this call for clarity and precision in communication (above) will soon found out. And that may be painful.
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Rank: Super forum user
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roshqse wrote:
People using acronyms and abbreviations are , in my experience, often just showing off. They know something you don't thereby making anyone who has to ask what it means to feel inferior.
That's harsh. Whilst I would agree that over use of acronyms is bad sometimes it is because they are so used within an industry that it is easy to forget that others do not know. On this forum I would expect a certain level of understanding. For example do I have to state what IOSH stands for? Or HSWA? Or PPE? or even H&S? For non health and safety acronyms, what about the use of asap for example or etc. Can we not use those either? Acronyms can be useful but used within reason.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Quite correct in your observations Clairel, worth noting that many health and safety (H&S) documents are littered with acronyms and can be very jargonised e.g. HSG65 ('Successful Health and Safety Management) – as an example! 　
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Rank: Super forum user
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But, but
Only today the HASAWA has indeed been the HASAWA, HSW74 & HSWA on these very forums - now obviously thats a dead easy one (for us, on here) but just an example of 3 versions of the (ultimately) same acronym - although two lazy - we all know its HASAWA ;-)
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I know of quite a few contractors that still don't seem to know what 'O&M' stands for!
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Rank: Super forum user
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I know a fe safety Managers who don't;
O&M Orientation & Mobility ?
O&M Offshore & Marine ?
O&M Observation and Measurement ?
O&M Oceanography and Meteorology ?
O&M Organization & Methods ?
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Rank: Super forum user
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The use of slang or colloquial words and expressions can also be added as a cause of puzzlement and ambiguity. For example, some forum users may be puzzled by references to 'sparks' instead of electricians. This is just one example from the many available and not intended as a criticism of those who refer to sparks.
Most of us, myself included, tend to overlook Forum Rule 14. It advises that the IOSH forums are used worldwide and therefore those who post messages should be aware of differences in the cultural attitudes and grasp of English language among forum users. It's easy of course to mention this aspect but far harder to heed it.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I had a colleague who was contacted about skin problems resulting from the use of PCBs. As a chemist he assumed that this stood for polychlorinated biphenyls, highly toxic substances for which a very expensive glove would be required in addition to other, expensive, control measures. It turned out subsequently that what the client was referring to were printed circuit boards which, of course, were a totally different and vastly less problematic issue to resolve.
So we need to be careful that: "What I know I said is the same as what you think I said".
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Normal convention is that you would normally provide the full wording and then the acronym in brackets immediately after, and thereafter use the acronym. However, as already mentioned it would normally be acceptable to use an acronym either when the meaning of the acronym has already been identified (perhaps in a previous post on the same thread) or where the acronym is in common use and likely to be understood by the 'reader' such as on these forums PPE, HSE, HASAWA, MHSWR etc.
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roshqse wrote:... makes us all look like fully qualified, pedantic pen pushers ...
Ah now you have me there ~ I USED to be a pedant but then I discovered I didn't meet the exact requirements for being one so now I am not. DOH! its not Friday again
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Rank: Super forum user
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canopener wrote:Normal convention is that you would normally provide the full wording and then the acronym in brackets immediately after, and thereafter use the acronym. That's certainly normal convention in formal, written documentation. I don't believe it is normal convention in discussion that happens to be via a written medium, such as this discussion forum. I don't believe you can avoid abbreviations and acronyms. They aren't about people being arrogant or showing off, they are perfectly normal and commonplace in all fields where you need to repeatedly refer to something specific and technical. On a forum titled "OSH discussion forum" I think it's crazy to be objecting to abbreviations and acronyms (unless, off course, we really are supposed to be discussing the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan). I certainly don't want to be typing out in full exempli gratia personal protective equipment every time I refer to PPE. I'm sure you meant to type etcetarata there.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I don't think that we disagree. I think that there is a reasonable expectation when discussing issues among your peers to use acronyms that are in common use and likely to be understood by the majority. I also agree that the use of many acronyms is essentially unavoidable and I would also agree that in the majority of cases they are not used to be 'smart', 'big headed' or whatever.
By the way I don't actually know what O&M means :-( Hellppppppppp!
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Rank: Super forum user
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achrn wrote:
I'm sure you meant to type etcetarata there.
Abbreviations are hugely problematic but poor spelling, punctuation, grammar etcetera, can all change the meaning of a sentence, perhaps critically, and on a wider scale can change the entire tone of a substantive report. I see it often, as Editor of two scientific journals and as a reviewer for many others. At its worst, errors in spelling create text that is little more than gibberish, etcetarata [sic]
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Rank: Super forum user
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Ian
As the book said describing the Panda in the bar:
"Eats, shoots and leaves"
or was it
"Eats shoots and leaves"???
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Rank: Super forum user 
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There is topic on the members forum about APS and after 12 posts nobody has explained what it is. Perhaps that is the way it should be, if you do not know then stay away.
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Rank: Super forum user
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If you don't know, just ask!
If you think it makes you feel inferior, ask yourself - is that a problem with the acronym, the forum, or the viewer?
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Rank: Super forum user
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canopener wrote:I don't think that we disagree. I think that there is a reasonable expectation when discussing issues among your peers to use acronyms that are in common use and likely to be understood by the majority. I also agree that the use of many acronyms is essentially unavoidable and I would also agree that in the majority of cases they are not used to be 'smart', 'big headed' or whatever.
By the way I don't actually know what O&M means :-( Hellppppppppp! Operations & Maintenance :-)
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Rank: Super forum user
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Thank you. I wouldn't have got that one :-O
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redken wrote: if you do not know then stay away. But if I do not know, how will I achieve the next level master? Surely, to grow, one should be nourished with knowledge, shared by the keepers of knowledge, not guarded by the Keepers of Secrets....
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ExDeeps wrote:redken wrote: if you do not know then stay away. But if I do not know, how will I achieve the next level master? Surely, to grow, one should be nourished with knowledge, shared by the keepers of knowledge, not guarded by the Keepers of Secrets.... This is true my young padawan but knowledge is power. No wise and knowledgable consultant ever became wealthy by letting his clients or peers know how to draw from his font directly.
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Rank: Super forum user
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canopener wrote:Thank you. I wouldn't have got that one :-O Hand on heart me neither - never heard of it!
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Rank: Forum user
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Its all about having a TLA for everything !
TLA = Three Letter Abbreviation
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Rank: Super forum user 
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We live now in a world where many posts on here & elsewhere are done on a hand-held device and many are used to using twitter etcetera. It is therefore inevitable that abbreviations and shorthand expressions will proliferate.
On here it does not really matter but for many other purposes, clarity is essential and ambiguity may be at best misleading and at worst dangerous or expensive.
Thus the medium and purpose should always be borne in mind when writing and speaking.
I meant to post this yesterday, rather than spoiling Friday but never got round to it!
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Rank: Super forum user
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redken wrote:There is topic on the members forum about APS and after 12 posts nobody has explained what it is. Perhaps that is the way it should be, if you do not know then stay away. APS = Association for Project Safety. www.aps.org.uk
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nickh wrote:redken wrote:There is topic on the members forum about APS and after 12 posts nobody has explained what it is. Perhaps that is the way it should be, if you do not know then stay away. APS = Association for Project Safety. www.aps.org.uk Sort of agree there - It's a CDM thang and unless your a construction bod (and probably a member of said organisation) little / no interest to me (Non-Construction) so I'll keep schtum.
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Rank: Super forum user
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damelcfc wrote:nickh wrote:redken wrote:There is topic on the members forum about APS and after 12 posts nobody has explained what it is. Perhaps that is the way it should be, if you do not know then stay away. APS = Association for Project Safety. www.aps.org.uk Sort of agree there - It's a CDM thang and unless your a construction bod (and probably a member of said organisation) little / no interest to me (Non-Construction) so I'll keep schtum. O&M?,,,,,,,,, It's also a CDM thing! PMSL ;-)
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Rank: Super forum user
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Safety Smurf wrote:
O&M?,,,,,,,,, It's also a CDM thing! PMSL ;-)
That'll be why Canopener and I had no idea what it stood for then - simple!
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Rank: Super forum user
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This is true my young padawan but knowledge is power. No wise and knowledgable consultant ever became wealthy by letting his clients or peers know how to draw from his font directly. My Master is indeed wise and surely has earned the honour to be known as a long beard. I have a further question my Master; If I were to stop sipping from the pure, clear waters of the spring of knowledge, and instead dip my roots in the rich, fragrant earth where the mighty bull has walked, tell me, will I too be able to grow as a mighty oak to become a long beard and be known as a wealthy and powerful consultant?
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Rank: Forum user
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Ahh.. so it's a code?
If you don't know what it means then you're not allowed to join in?
The PCB example is perfect.
PCB to me means polychlorinated biphenysl.. (or however you spell it)
I still say abbreviations and acronyms are about showing your knowledge and others lack of.
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Rank: Super forum user
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quote=ExDeeps]This is true my young padawan but knowledge is power. No wise and knowledgable consultant ever became wealthy by letting his clients or peers know how to draw from his font directly. My Master is indeed wise and surely has earned the honour to be known as a long beard. I have a further question my Master; If I were to stop sipping from the pure, clear waters of the spring of knowledge, and instead dip my roots in the rich, fragrant earth where the mighty bull has walked, tell me, will I too be able to grow as a mighty oak to become a long beard and be known as a wealthy and powerful consultant?
You learn fast youngling. For the way to the spring of knowledge is a perilous journey through the pastures of the mighty Bull and in order to pass safely through it, you must learn the ways of the Bull. When the waters of the spring of knowledge run dry, the mighty Bull will triumph!
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Rank: Super forum user
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roshqse wrote:
I still say abbreviations and acronyms are about showing your knowledge and others lack of.
Not in my case. I have been guilty of using acronyms that are not general H&S ones. Because I use them all of the time, it becomes second nature. Perhaps people type as if they are talking to someone. I know I do. As for Ian B's post regarding reports- I never use them and agree with his point. Andy
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