Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 28-20 - Division of Occupational Safety

• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Code: means a standard body of rules for safety and health formulated, adopted, and issued by the commission under the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-20-1
• Commission: means the code commission for occupational safety and health created by this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-20-1
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Department: means the department of labor and training. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-29-2
• Director: means the director of labor and training or his or her duly authorized representative. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-20-1
• Employ: means the use of any services of an employee for compensation and includes to suffer or permit to work. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-20-1
• Employee: means an individual who is employed by an employer. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-20-1
• Employer: means a person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, receiver or trustee in bankruptcy having one or more persons in his, her, or its employ, a state agency, or an agency of a political subdivision of the state, or any person acting, directly or indirectly, in the interest of an employer. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-20-1
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: includes affirmation; the word "sworn" includes affirmed; and the word "engaged" includes either sworn or affirmed. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-11
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Physician: means medical doctor, surgeon, dentist, licensed psychologist, chiropractor, osteopath, podiatrist, or optometrist, as the case may be. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-29-2
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Review board: means the occupational safety and health review board created by this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-20-1
• Standard: means a federal standard adopted by the United States Secretary of Labor for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-20-1
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8
• Variance: means a limited modification or change in a code which is applicable only to the particular place of employment of the employer or person petitioning for the modification or change. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-20-1
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.