I have discussed the phrase “at least” in 39 articles I have posted over the 30 years of SAFTENG’s existence. Most of my references are to process safety matters, but it is also widely used in OSH standards and codes. And still today, it is as big a “trap” as it was when I started my professional safety career in 1993. For example, two (2) of the RAGAGEPs I spend a lot of time in, ASME Section VIII and ASME B31.3, use the phrase “at least” 180 and 75 times, respectively. OSHA uses the phrase 860 times in its 1910 standards, CPLs, and LOIs.
So why is such a small phrase such a big deal in the codes and standards we use in the safety profession?