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Glossary

A reference of terms, acronyms, and concepts used throughout the Tellus EHS platform. Terms are listed alphabetically.

ACGIH​

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. A professional organization that publishes recommended exposure limits (TLVs) for chemical substances in the workplace. ACGIH TLVs are widely used alongside OSHA PELs.

AdminHQ​

The Tellus module for managing your organization's settings, users, roles, sites, locations, billing, and onboarding. AdminHQ is available on all subscription tiers.

Annual Review​

A yearly evaluation of your compliance program. The EHS Agent (Pro) triggers an automatic annual review that checks chemicals, training, plans, and PPE across your organization.

Assignment​

A training task given to an employee in SafePath. Each assignment links an employee to a course with an optional due date. Assignments track progress from Assigned through In Progress to Completed or Overdue.

Auto-Assignment​

A SafePath automation rule that automatically assigns training to employees when certain conditions are met — such as a new hire joining a site or a new chemical being added to inventory.

Barcode Scanning​

A Quick Import method that lets you scan product barcodes to identify chemicals and add them to your inventory. Available on Standard and Pro plans.

CAS Number​

Chemical Abstracts Service Number. A unique numerical identifier assigned to every chemical substance. Tellus uses CAS numbers to group chemicals, cross-reference regulatory lists, and identify duplicates. Example: Acetone is CAS 67-64-1.

CERCLA​

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (also known as Superfund). A federal law that requires reporting of hazardous substance releases above reportable quantities. Tellus flags chemicals that appear on the CERCLA list.

Certification​

A record proving that an employee has completed training or holds a professional qualification. Certifications in SafePath have expiration dates and trigger renewal alerts at 30, 60, and 90 days before expiry.

CFR​

Code of Federal Regulations. The codification of federal rules published by the U.S. government. OSHA standards are found in Title 29 of the CFR (e.g., 29 CFR 1910.1200 is the Hazard Communication Standard).

ChemIQ​

The Tellus chemical inventory and SDS management module. ChemIQ handles SDS parsing, chemical tracking, quantity monitoring, PPE recommendations, label printing, regulatory compliance, and barcode scanning.

Compliance Center​

The main dashboard in the Insights module that shows your overall compliance readiness score, module-level summaries, and an alert feed of issues requiring attention.

Compliance Gap​

A deficiency in your safety program — such as a chemical without an SDS, an employee with overdue training, or a plan past its review date. Tellus identifies compliance gaps and alerts you through the Compliance Center.

Container Size​

The size of a chemical product's container (e.g., 1 gallon, 5 liters). Container size is tracked at the product catalog level in ChemIQ, since different container sizes are treated as different products.

D-U-N-S Number​

Data Universal Numbering System. A unique nine-digit identifier for businesses, issued by Dun & Bradstreet. Some regulatory filings and government contracts require your D-U-N-S number. You can store it in your company profile in AdminHQ.

EHS​

Environment, Health, and Safety. The discipline concerned with protecting worker health, ensuring workplace safety, and managing environmental compliance. Tellus is an EHS platform.

EHS Software​

Software designed to help organizations manage environment, health, and safety programs — including chemical inventory, SDS management, training, compliance tracking, and incident reporting. Tellus EHS is an EHS software platform focused on OSHA HazCom compliance.

EHS Agent​

An AI-powered feature (Pro plan) that automatically evaluates workplace safety decisions when events occur — such as chemicals being added or employees joining a site. The EHS Agent uses five specialist evaluators and records every decision for audit purposes.

EIN​

Employer Identification Number. A unique number assigned by the IRS to businesses for tax purposes. Your EIN is stored in your company profile in AdminHQ and may be needed for regulatory filings.

EPA​

Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. federal agency responsible for environmental protection. Tellus tracks EPA-related regulatory lists including TRI, CERCLA, and FIFRA.

EPA Facility ID​

A unique identifier assigned by the EPA to a specific facility for environmental reporting purposes. Stored at the site level in AdminHQ.

EPA Label​

A label for EPA-registered products (such as pesticides). ChemIQ includes EPA Label Management for uploading, storing, and sharing EPA labels.

EPCRA​

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Requires facilities to report hazardous chemical inventories (Tier II reports) to local emergency planning committees. Tellus helps generate data for Tier II submissions.

GHS​

Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. An international standard for classifying chemical hazards and communicating them through labels and SDSs. OSHA adopted GHS as part of the 2012 HazCom Standard update.

GHS Pictogram​

A standardized symbol used on GHS labels to visually communicate a chemical's hazard type. There are nine pictograms: flame, oxidizer, exploding bomb, corrosion, skull and crossbones, health hazard, exclamation mark, gas cylinder, and environment.

Hazard Category​

A numerical ranking within a GHS hazard class that indicates the severity of the hazard. Category 1 is always the most severe. For example, "Flammable Liquid Category 1" is more dangerous than "Flammable Liquid Category 4."

Hazard Class​

A grouping of chemicals by the type of hazard they present under GHS. Examples include Flammable Liquids, Acute Toxicity, Carcinogenicity, and Gases Under Pressure.

HazCom​

Hazard Communication. Refers to OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), which requires employers to inform workers about hazardous chemicals in the workplace through labels, SDSs, and training.

HazCom Software​

Software that helps employers comply with OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard by managing SDS libraries, chemical inventories, container labeling, and employee training. Tellus EHS is a hazcom software platform that automates these requirements.

HMIS​

Hazardous Materials Identification System. A labeling system developed by the American Coatings Association that uses color-coded bars and numerical ratings for health, flammability, physical hazard, and PPE. ChemIQ can generate HMIS-compliant labels.

IARC​

International Agency for Research on Cancer. A branch of the World Health Organization that classifies substances by their carcinogenicity to humans. Tellus flags chemicals that appear on IARC classification lists.

Insights​

The Tellus module for compliance monitoring, analytics, and reporting. Includes the Compliance Center, Chemical Insights, Training Insights, Plan Insights, User Insights, and the EHS Agent (Pro).

Inventory​

Your list of active chemicals at a site. Each inventory entry includes the product, location, quantity, and linked SDS. The inventory is the foundation of your chemical safety program.

LMS​

Learning Management System. A software application for creating, delivering, and tracking training courses. SafePath is the LMS built into Tellus EHS, purpose-built for safety training and OSHA compliance.

Label Center​

The section within ChemIQ where you generate and print compliant labels. Supports GHS, NFPA 704, HMIS, and barcode label formats.

Location​

A specific area within a site — such as a warehouse bay, laboratory room, storage closet, or loading dock. Chemicals are tracked at the location level for precise inventory management.

Module​

A functional area of the Tellus platform. The five modules are ChemIQ, Plan Builder, SafePath, Insights, and AdminHQ.

NAICS Code​

North American Industry Classification System Code. A code that identifies your industry sector. Your NAICS code is stored in your company profile and helps Tellus tailor compliance recommendations to your industry.

NFPA​

National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 704 is a labeling standard that uses a diamond-shaped symbol with numerical ratings for health, flammability, instability, and special hazards. ChemIQ can generate NFPA 704-compliant labels.

NIOSH​

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. A U.S. federal agency that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing workplace injuries and illness. NIOSH publishes Recommended Exposure Limits (RELs) for chemical substances.

NIOSH REL​

NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit. The airborne concentration of a chemical that NIOSH recommends as the maximum safe exposure over a work shift. RELs are advisory, not legally enforceable (unlike OSHA PELs).

NTP​

National Toxicology Program. A U.S. interagency program that evaluates substances for carcinogenicity. NTP publishes the Report on Carcinogens, listing substances "known to be" or "reasonably anticipated to be" human carcinogens.

Onboarding​

The setup process when you first create your Tellus account. The onboarding wizard walks you through industry selection, module activation, company details, coordinator assignment, sites, locations, and team invitations.

OSHA​

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The U.S. federal agency responsible for enforcing workplace safety and health standards. OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) is the primary regulation Tellus helps you comply with.

OSHA PEL​

OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit. The legally enforceable maximum airborne concentration of a chemical that a worker can be exposed to over an 8-hour work shift. Employers must ensure exposures do not exceed PELs.

Photo Capture​

A Quick Import method where you photograph a product label and AI extracts the product name, manufacturer, and other details automatically. Available on Standard and Pro plans.

Plan Builder​

The Tellus module for creating your Written Hazard Communication Program. It uses AI to draft a plan customized to your industry, chemicals, and sites, with built-in approval workflows and version control.

PPE​

Personal Protective Equipment. Equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards — including gloves, safety glasses, goggles, face shields, respirators, and protective clothing. ChemIQ provides AI-powered PPE recommendations based on NIOSH guidelines and GHS hazard data.

Product Catalog​

A shared library of chemical products in ChemIQ. When the same product exists at multiple sites, they all reference the same catalog entry. The catalog stores product name, manufacturer, CAS number, container size, and linked SDS.

Program Coordinator​

The person designated under OSHA's HazCom Standard to manage your organization's hazard communication program. This role is assigned during onboarding and has organization-wide visibility into compliance status.

Prop 65​

California Proposition 65 (Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986). Requires businesses to provide warnings about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. Tellus flags chemicals on the Prop 65 list.

Quick Import​

A collection of fast methods for adding chemicals to your inventory in ChemIQ — including photo capture, barcode scanning, spreadsheet upload, invoice upload, SDS library matching, and site-to-site copying.

Readiness Score​

A single percentage displayed in the Compliance Center that represents your overall compliance posture. The score factors in SDS coverage, training completion, plan status, and quantity compliance.

Regulatory List​

A government-published list of chemicals subject to specific regulations. Tellus tracks 15 regulatory lists including OSHA PEL, NIOSH REL, ACGIH TLV, EPA TRI, CERCLA, Prop 65, IARC, NTP, and others.

SafePath​

The Tellus training management module. SafePath handles course creation, training assignments, certification tracking, quiz management, training automation, and AI-powered course generation.

SDS (Safety Data Sheet)​

A standardized document that provides information about a chemical's hazards, composition, safe handling, storage, emergency procedures, and disposal. Formerly called MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet). OSHA requires employers to maintain an SDS for every hazardous chemical in the workplace.

Signal Word​

A word on a GHS label that indicates the relative severity of the hazard. Danger is used for more severe hazards. Warning is used for less severe hazards.

Site​

A physical location where your organization operates — such as a warehouse, office, factory, or job site. Sites are the top level of your location hierarchy in Tellus.

Site Quantities​

The total aggregated quantity of each chemical across all locations within a site. Site quantities are used for Tier II reporting, fire marshal permits, and regulatory threshold monitoring.

Staging​

The review area where imported chemicals land before they enter your final inventory. A supervisor reviews and approves staged items to ensure accuracy and prevent duplicates.

Subscription Tier​

Your Tellus plan level. Starter ($49/month) provides basic chemical management. Standard ($149/month) unlocks all modules with full features. Pro ($349/month) adds multi-site management, the EHS Agent, API access, and unlimited users.

Tier II Report​

An annual report required under EPCRA Section 312 for facilities that store hazardous chemicals above threshold quantities. The report lists chemicals, quantities, and storage locations. Tellus tracks chemical quantities at the site level to support Tier II submissions.

TLV​

Threshold Limit Value. An occupational exposure limit published by ACGIH for airborne concentrations of chemical substances. TLVs are recommendations, not legally enforceable limits, but are widely used in industrial hygiene practice.

Training Matrix​

A visual grid in SafePath that maps job roles to required training courses. The matrix shows which employees have completed their required courses, which are behind, and which certifications are expiring.

TRI​

Toxic Release Inventory. An EPA program that requires certain facilities to report annual releases of toxic chemicals to the environment. Tellus flags chemicals on the TRI list so you know which ones may trigger reporting obligations.

Written HazCom Program​

The document required by OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200(e)) that describes how your organization manages chemical hazards. It must include your chemical inventory list, SDS management procedures, labeling practices, and employee training program. The Plan Builder module creates this document for you.