Glossary
Definitions
- ALCOA – attributable, legible, contemporaneous, original
and accurate.
- ALCOA+ has four additions: complete, consistent,
enduring and available.
- Antibody: An antibody is a large, Y-shaped protein used
by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign
objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses known
as antigen.
- Antigens: An antigen is any substance from the
environment such as chemicals, bacteria, viruses or pollen
that causes the immune system to produce antibodies
against it.
- Monoclonal Antibodies (mAb): These are produced
in labs and engineered to bind specific targets such as
antigens located on cancer cells.
- Small molecule: Small-molecule drugs are chemical
compounds with low molecular weight, < 900 Dalton.
They make up 90% of pharmaceutical drugs (such as
insulin, aspirin, and antihistamines).
- Large molecule: Large molecules are therapeutic
proteins and are also known as biologics.
- Active pharmaceutical ingredient (API): Any
substance or combination of substances used in a finished
pharmaceutical product (FPP), intended to furnish
pharmacological activity or to otherwise have direct effect
in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention
of disease, or to have direct effect in restoring, correcting
or modifying physiological functions in human beings.
- Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP): The
regulations enforced by the FDA to assure the quality of
pharmaceuticals.
- SQDECC – An acronym representing the six elements
of operational excellence: safety, quality, delivery,
engagement, compliance and cost.
- GEMBA walks: Gemba walks denote the action of
managers going to see the actual process, understand
the work, ask questions, and learn.
- Kaizen: A Japanese business philosophy of continuous
improvement of working practices.
- Green Chemistry: Green chemistry, similar to sustainable
chemistry, is an area of chemistry and chemical engineering
focused on the design of products and processes
that minimize or eliminate the use and generation of
hazardous substances.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The United
Nations created 17 interlinked objectives designed to
serve as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for
people and the planet, now and into the future.
- Synpliance: A proprietary compliance tool used to
monitor and track compliance with all applicable
standards and regulations governing our activity.
- SynZero: A safety incident and near-miss reporting portal
- Chemwatch: A digital safety data sheet, to ensure the
safe use of chemicals.
- Environmental Management System (EMS): Ensures
coordination across the company’s plans for overall
resource conservation and waste reduction.
- Lean mode operation: Operational frequency of
lab supply and exhaust air optimized for efficiency
by adjusting airflow based on occupancy to maintain
required face velocity as per standard.
- Variable flow control: Electronic device controlling
speed and torque (rotational force applied to an object)
of an electric motor by varying supplied frequency and
voltage.
- Aspect Impact Management (AIM): An option for
promoting a company’s environmental sustainability.
The AIM aims to define a mechanism and assign
responsibilities for identifying environmental aspects
and their impacts associated with manufacturing
division operations, processes, and activities and control
significant environmental impacts.
- Hazard identification and risk assessment (HIRA): The
process necessary for maintaining a high level of safety
and efficiency in the workplace.
- Process safety management (PSM): A practice to
manage business operations critical to process safety.
- Particulate Matter (PM): Refers to particles that can be
harmful to health. PM 10 refers to particles that are 10
micrometers or less in diameter, while PM 2.5 refers to
particles that are 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter.
Units of measurement
- tCO2 – Total carbon dioxide
- tCO2e – Total carbon dioxide equivalent
- NOx – Nitrogen Oxides
- SOx – Sulphur Oxides
- W – Watt
- KW – Kilo Watt
- KWH – Kilo Watt Hour
- KW (DC) – Kilo Watt (Direct Current)
- KL – Kilo Liter (1 KL = 1,000 liters)
- KLD – Kilo liters per day
- MT – Metric Ton
- MTCO2e - Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
- MW – Mega Watt
- MW (DC) – Megawatt (Direct Current)
