Glossary

HABITAT

An ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism.

HARD SKILLS

Specific skills that have to be taught, such as learning to use a new computer system, or gaining a professional qualification.

HARDWARE

The physical parts of a computer.

HAZARDOUS WASTE

Any waste (solid, liquid, or gas) which because of its quantity, concentration, or chemical, physical, or infectious characteristics pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of.

HEDGE

A means of limiting the negative impact of an event.

HIERARCHY

A system where members of an organization are ranked according to their status or power.

HIGH-BAY RACKING

Pallet racking that extends to ceiling level. This will require specially extended masts on forklift trucks.

HIGH-BAY WAREHOUSING

A system of warehousing which looks to maximize utilization of space using a system of pallets and shelves stacked vertically and the use of machinery such as forklift trucks to retrieve items.

HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS ZONE SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (HUBZone)

A qualified HUBZone small business concern is an organization that is a small business enterprise (SBE), is located in an historically underutilized business zone (HUBZone), is owned and controlled by one or more U.S. citizens and has at least 35 percent of employees residing in a HUBZone. A HUBZone is an area that is located in one or more of the following:

1. A qualified census tract (as defined in section 42(d)(5)(C)(i)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986);
2. A qualified non-metropolitan county that is: not located in a metropolitan statistical area (as defined in section 143(k)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), and a) in which the median household income is less than 80 percent of the non-metropolitan State median household income, or b) that based on the most recent data available from the Secretary of Labor, has an unemployment rate that is not less than 140 percent of the statewide average unemployment rate for the State in which the county is located;
3. Is within the external boundaries of an Indian reservation.

HORIZON SCANNING

A formal gathering of data and information from various sources (and often of unrelated subject matter) and combining it to predict approaching risks or opportunities in order to support decision making.