Industry Abbreviations and Acronyms

The OEL has created a list of the most commonly used acronyms. If you have an acronym that you think could be added to this list, please send it to league@oel.org.

Updated July 2023

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

• AATO - Association of Architectural Technologists of Ontario (website)
• ABC - Associated Builders and Contractors (USA, website)
• ACA - Alberta Construction Association (website)
• ACEC - Association of Consulting Engineering Companies, Canada (website)
• ACP - Authorized Contractor Program (part of ESA, website)
• ADO - Accessibility Directorate of Ontario (website)
• AED - Automatic Emergency Defibrillator
• AGL - Aeronautical or Aerodrome Ground Lighting
• AGM - Annual General Meeting
• AHJ - Authority Having Jurisdiction
• AODA - Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (website)
• ARCAL - Aircraft Radio Control of Aerodrome Lighting
• ARIDO - Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (website)
• ASD - Adjustable Speed Drive (also referred to as variable-frequency drive (VFD) or variable-speed)
• ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (website)
• ATS - Automatic Transfer Switch
• AWG - American Wire Gauge

B

• BBP - Best Business Practices
• BCA - Barrie Construction Association (website)
• BCACG - Broader Construction Association Consultation Group (City of Toronto, website)
• BCC - Building Code Commission (website)
• BCCA - British Columbia Construction Association (website)

C

• C of Q - Certificate of Qualification (through OCOT, website)
• CAC - Cement Association of Canada (website)
• CANB - Construction Association of New Brunswick (website)
• CANS - Construction Association of Nova Scotia (website)
• CAPEI - Construction Association of Prince Edward Island (website)
• CASA - Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association (website)
• CATB - Construction Association of Thunder Bay (website)
• CAWIC - Canadian Association of Women in Construction (website)
• CBO - Chief Building Official
• CBTU - Canada's Building Trades Unions (website)
• CCA - Calgary Construction Association (website)
• CCA - Canadian Construction Association (website)
• CCDC - Canadian Construction Documents Committee (website)
• CCOHS - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (website)
• CD - Change Directive
• CDAO - Construction Design Alliance of Ontario (website)
• CDBI - Canadian Design Build Institute (website)
• CEC - Canadian Electrical Code
• CEC - Construction Education Council (part of MCAC, website)
• CEC - Construction Employers Coalition (part of WSIB)
• CECCO - Construction Employers Coordinating Council of Ontario (website)
• CEO - Chief Executive Officer
• CEO - Consulting Engineers of Ontario (website)
• CFCA - Concrete Floor Contractors Association of Ontario (website)
• CFCSA - Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (website)
• CFLRA - Cement Finishing Labour Relations Association (website)
• CFIB - Canadian Federation of Business (website)
• CIAG - Construction Industry Advisory Group (part of WSIB)
• CIQS - Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (website)
• CISC-ICCA - Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (website)
• CLAC - Christian Labour Association of Canada (website)
• CLRAO - Construction Labour Relations Association of Ontario (website)
• CM - Corrective Maintenance
• CNCCTO - Coalition of Non-Compulsory Construction Trades of Ontario 
• CO - Change Order
• CoAC - Contractor Advisory Council (part of ESA)
• COCA - Council of Ontario Construction Associations (website)
• COF - Consequence of Failure
• CoR - Certificate of Recognition (through IHSA)
• COV - Central Ottawa Valley Chapter (part of OEL)
• CPO - Chief Prevention Officer
• CSA - Canadian Standards Association (website)
• CSAC - Cross-Sector Advisory Council (part of ESA)
• CSC-DCC - Construction Specifications Canada (website)
• CSS - Continuous Safety Services (ESA)
• CT - Current Transformer
• CWB - Canadian Welding Bureau (website)

D

• DAA - Designated Approving Authority
• DAC - Damped Alternating Current Voltage
• DBFO - Design, Build, Finance and Operate
• DCA - Durham Construction Association (website)
• DCN - Daily Commercial News (website)
• DCS - Distributive Control System
• DGA - Dissolved Gas Analysis
• DRA - Dielectric Response Analysis
• DUR - Durham Chapter (part of OEL)

E

• E&USA - Electrical & Utilities Safety Association of Ontario (now IHSA)
• ECA - Edmonton Construction Association (website)
• ECAO - Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario (website)
• ECRA - Electrical Contractor Registration Agency (part of ESA)
• EDA -Electricity Distributors Association (website)
• EEMP - Electrical Equipment Maintenance Program
• EFC - Electro-Federation Canada (website)
• EHT - Electric Heat Trace
• EIC - Electrical Industry Conference (more information)
• ELG - Elgin and District Chapter (part of OEL)
• EMMS - Electrical Maintenance Management System
• EOL - End of Life
• EPA - Environmental Protection Agency (USA, website)
• EPC - Engineering, Procurement and Construction
• EPCM - Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Management
• EPM - Electrical Preventative Maintenance
• ERP - Emergency Response Plan
• ESA - Electrical Safety Authority (website)
• ESA - Employment Standards Act (website)
• ESX - Essex Chapter (part of OEL)
• EUSR - Electrical Utility Safety Rules (IHSA)

F

• FAT - Factory Accepted Test
• FDS - Frequency Dielectric Spectroscopy
• F.E. - Field Evaluation
• FIT - Feed In Tariff (Renewable Energy Program)
• FMECA - Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis
• FRACAS - Failure Reporting Analysis and Corrective Action System

G

• GFCI - Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
• GHS - Globally Harmonized System (website)
• GIS - Gas-Insulated Swtichgear
• GOI - Guarantee of Isolation
• GPCA - Grande Prairie Construction Association (website)
• GPR - Groung Potential Rise
• GTA - Greater Toronto Area
• GTAW - Greater Toronto Area West Chapter (part of OEL)
• GTECA - Greater Toronto Electrical Contractors Association (website)
• GSC - Gold Seal Certified (website)
• GVCA - Grand Valley Construction Association (website)

H

• HAL - Halton Chapter (part of OEL)
• HDECA - Hamilton District Electrical Contractors Association (part of OEL)
• HEA - Headwaters Chapter (part of OEL)
• HHCA - Hamilton-Halton Construction Association (website)
• HHGCA - Hamilton-Halton General Contractors Association (website)
• HRAI - Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (website)
• HSE&S - Health, Safety, Environment and Security
• HV - High Voltage
• HVAC - Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning 
• HVDC - High-Voltage Direct Current

I

• IBC - Insurance Bureau of Canada (website)
• ICE - Impact, Costs, and Ease of implementation
• ICI - Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (part of WSIB, website)
• ID - Induced Draft
• IDC - Interior Designers of Canada (website)
• IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (website)
• IES – Illuminating Engineering Society – (website)
• IESO - Independent Electricity System Operator (website)
• IFR - Instrument Flight Rules
• IHSA - Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (website)
• IO - Infrastructure Ontario (website)
• I/O - Input/Output
• IR - Infrared Light (Radiation)
• IRP - Internal Responsibility Program
• IRS - Internal Responsibility System
• ISCA - Interior Systems Contractors Association of Ontario (website)

J

• JHA - Job Harzard Analysis
• JST - Job Search Training Program
• JSW - Job Search Workshops for Newcomers to Ontario (website)

K

• KCA - Kingston Construction Association (website)
• KEA - Kingston Electrical Association (part of OEL)
• KEN - Kent County Chapter (part of OEL)

L

• LCA - Lloydminster Construction Association (website)
• LDC – Local Distribution Company
• LDCA - London and District Construction Association (website)
• LEC - Licensed Electrical Contractor (ECRA/ESA)
• LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (website)
• LMI - Labour Market Information (Part of MTCU, website)
• LON - London Chapter (part of OEL)
• LV - Low-Voltage
• LVCB - Low-Voltage Circut Breaker

M

• MCA - Mississauga Construction Association (website)
• MCAC - Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (website)
• MCAO - Mechanical Contractors Association of Ontario (website)
• MCC - Motor Control Centre
• MCCB - Moulded Case Circuit Breaker
• M.E. -  Master Electrician (ECRA Designation)
• MEC - Master Examining Committee
• MEB - Masters Examining Board (part of ESA)
• MERIT - Merit Ontario (website)
• MLA - Member of Legislative Assembly (Wikipedia)
• MLTSD - Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (website)
• MMAH - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (website)
• MNCA - Moncton Northeast Construction Association (website)
• MOL - Ministry of Labour (website)
• MOSCA - Merit OpenShop Contractors Association (see Merit)
• MP - Member of Parliament (website)
• MPP - Member of Provincial Parliament (website)
• MSDS - Material Safety Data Sheet (website)
• MTBF - Mean Time Between Failures
• MTCU - Ministry Training, Colleges and Universities (now called Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, website)
• MTO - Ministry of Transportation, Ontario (website)
• MTTF - Mean Time to Failure

N

• NBY - North Bay Chapter (part of OEL)
• NCA - Niagara Construction Association (website)
• NDT - Non-Destructive Testing
• NEC - National Electrical Code (USA, website)
• NECA - National Electrical Contractors Association (USA,website)
• NFPA - National Fire Protection Association (USA)
• NGR - Neutral Ground Resistor
• NLRB - National Labour Relations Board (USA, website)
• NOCA - Norther Ontario Construction Association (website)
• NRCA - Northern Regional Construction Association (website)

O

• O&M - Operations and Maintenance
• OAA - Ontario Association of Architects (website)
• OACETT - Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (website)
• OBC - Ontario Building Code (website, Ontario Building Code Online)
• OBCA - Ontario Building Code Act (website)
• OBDC - Ontario Bid Depository Council (part of CCA, website)
• OBOA - Ontario Building Officials Association (website)
• OCA - Ottawa Construction Association (website)
• OCS - Ontario Construction Secretariat (website)
• OCOT - Ontario College of Trades (website)
• OCR - Ontario Construction Report (website)
• OCT - Ontario College of Teachers (website)
• OCUC - Ontario Construction Users Council (website)
• OCWI - Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation (website)
• OD - Occupational Diseases
• ODALS - Omni-Directional Apprach Lighting System
• ODCA - Orillia and District Construction Association (website)
• OEA - Office of the Employer Advisor (now OWA, website)
• OEA - Ontario Energy Association (website)
• OEL - Ontario Electrical League (website)
• OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer
• OESC - Ontario Electrical Safety Code (ESA)
• OFL - Ontario Federation of Labour (website)
• OGCA - Ontario General Contractors Association (website)
• OHBA - Ontario Home Builders Association (website)
• OHS - Occupational Health and Safety
• OHSA - Occupational Health and Safety Act (website)
• OIRCA - Ontario Industrial Roofing Contractors Association (website)
• OJSPC - Ontario Joint Standard Practice Committee
• OLRB - Ontario Labour Relations Board (website)
• OMB - Ontario Municipal Board (website)
• OMCA - Ontario Masonry Contractors Association (part of COCA, website)
• OML - Ontario Mechanical League (website)
• OPCC - Ontario Provincial Code Committee 
• ORAC - Ontario Refrigeration and AC Contractors Association
• ORBA - Ontario Road Builders Association (website)
• OSHA - Occupational Health and Safety Administration (USA, website)
• OSWCA - Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (website)
• OTT - Ottawa Chapter (part of OEL)
• OWA - Office of the Worker Advisor (website)

P

• P. Eng - Professional Engineers (website)
• P-F Interval - Probable Failure Interval
• PAPI - Precision Approach Path Indicator
• PCAC - Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (website)
• PCTC - Progressive Certified Trades Coalition (protradessafeontario, website)
• PD - Partial Discharge
• PDCE - Peterborough and District Construction Exchange
• PdM - Predictive Maintenance
• PEO - Professional Engineers of Ontario (website)
• PET - Peterborough Chapter (part of OEL)
• PF - Power Factor
• PFC - Power Factor Correction
• PI - Polarization Index
• PLC - Programmable Logic Controller
• PLCAC - Pipe Line Contractors Association of Canada (website)
• PSHSH - Public Services Health and Safety Association (website)
• PMTP - Post-Maintenance Testing Process
• PO - Purchase Order
• POF - Probability of Failure
• PPE - Personal Protective Equipment
• PT - Potential Transformer
• PT&I - Predictive Testing and Inspection
• PUC - Power and Utilities Corporation (precedes with location in most cases, i.e. Oshawa or Sault Ste. Marie)
• PWGSC - Public Works and Government Services Canada (website)

Q

• QA - Quality Assurance
• QBS - Quality-Based Selection
• QC - Quality Control
• QCA - Quinte Construction Association (website)
• QMS - Quality Management System
• QMW - Qualified Maintenance Worker
• QUI - Quinte and Area Chapter (part of OEL)

R

• RBHCS - Road Builders and Heavy Construction of Saskatchewan (website)
• RBIM - Risk-Based Inspection Maintenance
• RBM - Risk-Based Maintenance
• RCA - Regina Construction Association (website)
• RCA - Registered Code Agency (website)
• RCA - Root Cause Analysis
• RCCAO - Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (website)
• RCM - Reliability-Centered Maintenance
• RDCA - Red Deer Construction Association (website)
• RESCON - Residential Contractors Association (website)
• RFP - Request for Pricing
• RFP - Request for Proposal
• RILS - Runway Identification Lights
• RM - Reactive Maintenance
• RMCAO - Ready Mixed Concrete Association of Ontario (website)
• RSE - Red Seal Equivalent (Designation)
• RSL - Rideau St. Lawrence Chapter (part of OEL)
• RTD - Resistane Temperture Detector
• TRIL - Runway Threshold Identification Light
• RTU - Remote Terminal Unit

S

• SAC - Surety Association of Canada (website)
• SAWO - Safe at Work Ontario (part of MOL, website)
• SCA - Sarnia Construction Association (website)
• SCA - Saskatoon Construction Association (website)
• SCA - Sudbury Construction Association
• SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data Aquisition
• SCC - Standards Council of Canada
• SCR - Silicone controlled Rectifier
• SDO - Standards Development Organization
• SFALS - Sequence Flashing Approach Light System
• SFRA - Sweep Frequency Response Analysis
• SICA - Southern Interior Construction Association (website)
• SJCA - St. John Construction Association
• SLD - Single-Line Diagram
• SO - Suitable Occupation
• SOP - Scope of Practice
• SOP - Standard Operating Procedures
• SSALR - Simplified Short Approach Lighting System with Runway Alignment Indicator Lights
• SSMCA - Sault Ste. Marie Construction Association (website)
• SST - Solid-State Trip Unit
• SWOT - Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunites and Threats

T

• T&P - Temperature and Pressure
• TCA GCS - Toronto Construction Association General Contractors Section (website)
• TCC - Time Current Curve
• TDR - Time Domain Reflectometry
• TOJ - Training on the Job program
• TP - Transition Plan
• TR - Transfer Rectifier
• TRV - Transient Recovery Voltage
• TSSA - Technical Standards & Safety Authority (website)

U

• U/G - Underground
• UL - Underwriters' Laboratories (website)
• ULC - Underwriters' Laboratories Canada (website)

V

• VDC - Virtual Design and Construction
• VICA - Vancouver Island Construction Association (website)
• VOR - Vendor of Record
• VRCA - Vancouver Regional Construction Association (website)

W

• WCA - Windsor Construction Association (website)
• WCA - Winnipeg Construction Association (website)
• WHIMIS - Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (website)
• WSIB - Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (website)
• WSPS - Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (website)
• WT - Work Transition (website)
• WTS - Work Transition Specialist

x

Y

Z