Meaning & use
safety infraction
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
an occasion when someone breaks a rule that is meant to keep people safe.
Grammar: Countable, so you can say 'a safety infraction' or 'three safety infractions'.
Patterns
- commit a safety infraction
- be guilty of a safety infraction
- a serious safety infraction
The factory was fined after inspectors found a serious safety infraction.
Any safety infraction on the building site is reported to the manager the same day.
He was given a written warning for a minor safety infraction.
noununcountableformal
the act of failing to follow a safety rule, considered as a type of offense.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or a plural when you talk about the idea in general.
Patterns
- be disciplined for safety infraction
- a pattern of safety infraction
Repeated safety infraction can lead to dismissal.
The report blamed poor training rather than deliberate safety infraction.
Word forms
| plural | safety infractions |
|---|
Common combinations
- commit a safety infraction
- Pilots who commit a safety infraction face an immediate review.
- a serious safety infraction
- Leaving the fire door blocked is a serious safety infraction.
- a minor safety infraction
- A minor safety infraction like missing goggles still gets logged.
- report a safety infraction
- Staff are encouraged to report any safety infraction anonymously.
- be disciplined for a safety infraction
- Two workers were disciplined for a safety infraction last month.
Synonyms and how they differ
- safety violation
- The more common American term, used in the same official contexts and sounding slightly stronger.
- breach
- A more formal word for breaking a rule or agreement; it fits legal writing but is less specific to safety.
- infringement
- Mostly used for breaking laws or rights, so it sounds odd for a simple workplace safety rule.
Opposites
Word family
- infraction noun
- the general word for any breaking of a rule, without the safety element.
- infringe verb
- to break a law, right or agreement.
Commonly confused: safety infraction or infraction? safety infraction or infection?
safety infraction vs infraction
On its own it means any broken rule; 'safety infraction' narrows it to rules about keeping people safe.
safety infraction vs infection
Sounds similar but means illness caused by germs, not a broken rule.
Practice
The company dismissed him after he ______ a serious safety infraction.
Choose one answer.
'Commit' is the verb that collocates with 'infraction' and other offenses. 'Did' and 'made' are too general here, and 'took' does not fit an offense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “safety infraction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.