The hazard control hierarchy is a system used in industry to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazards. It is a widely accepted system promoted by various safety organizations. This concept is taught to industry managers, to be promoted as standard practice in the workplace. Various illustrations are used to describe this system, most often a triangle.
The hazard control in the hierarchy is, in order to decrease effectiveness:
- Elimination
- Substitution
- Engineering controls
- Administrative controls
- Personal protective equipment
Video Hierarchy of hazard controls
Hierarchical components
Elimination
Disposing of a physical hazard - is the most effective hazard control. For example, if an employee has to work high above the ground, the hazards can be eliminated by moving parts of them to the ground to eliminate the need to work at altitudes.
Substitution
Substitution, the second most effective hazard control, involves replacing something that produces a hazard (similar to elimination) with something that does not produce harm - for example, replacing lead-based paint with white titanium. To be an effective control, new products should not result in other hazards. Since dust in the air can be harmful, if a product can be purchased with a larger particle size, smaller products can be effectively replaced with larger products.
Engineering control
The third most effective way to control danger is the control that is engineered. It does not eliminate danger, but isolates people from harm. The capital costs of engineered controls tend to be higher than those that are less effective in hierarchies, but they can reduce costs in the future. For example, a crew might build a working platform rather than buying, replacing, and maintaining falling containment equipment. "Enclosures and isolation" creates a physical barrier between personnel and hazards, such as using equipment that is controlled remotely. Acidifiers can remove contaminants in the air as an engineering control tool.
Administrative control
Administrative controls are changing the way people work. Examples of administrative controls include changes to procedures, employee training, and the installation of warning signs and labels (such as those in the Hazardous Materials Information System). Administrative controls do not eliminate harm, but limit or prevent exposure to harm, such as completing road construction at night when fewer people are driving.
Personal protective equipment
Personal protective equipment (APD) including gloves, Nomex/Uniforms, respirators, hard hats, safety goggles, high visibility clothing, and safety footwear. PPE is the most effective way to control hazards because of the high potential damage to make PPE ineffective. In addition, some PPEs, such as respirators, increase physiological efforts to complete tasks and, therefore, may require medical examination to ensure workers can use PPE without endangering their health.
Maps Hierarchy of hazard controls
Role in Prevention via Design
Hierarchy of control is the core component of Prevention through Design, the concept of applying methods to minimize occupational hazards early in the design process. Prevention through Design emphasizes the handling of hazards at the top of the control hierarchy (mainly through elimination and substitution) in the early stages of project development.
See also
- Prevention through design
- Comparison control
- Work safety analysis
- Security techniques
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
External links
- Canada Occupational Health & Health Center; Security document
- Hierarchy of precautions and controls in OSH Wiki (EU)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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