The five steps in the hierarchy of controls, from most effective to least effective, are elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.
NIOSH defines five rungs of the Hierarchy of Controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment. The hierarchy is arranged beginning with the most effective controls and proceeds to the least effective.
PPE, work practice controls, and administrative controls are considered the least effective hazard controls. These methods don't get rid of the hazard. Rather, they provide protection and reduce exposure, but the hazardous condition still remains.
The hierarchy of controls is used to keep employees safe from injury and illness in the workplace. The five steps in the hierarchy of controls, from most effective to least effective, are elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.
Administrative controls are ranked lower than elimination, substitution, and engineering controls because this method does not necessarily remove or reduce the hazard from the workplace.
Elimination. Elimination is known as the most effective hazard control measure because it completely removes the hazard. An example of hazard elimination would be removing a piece of machinery that is no longer needed. Elimination is not always possible, but it should be considered the first hazard control measure.
Elimination is at the top of the hierarchy of controls and is most effective in proactively mitigating hazards and risks and improving the safety of any workplace environment.
The hierarchy of control is a system implemented for controlling risk within the workplace. Essentially, the hierarchy is a step-by-step guide for eliminating or reducing risk and uses a ranking system of risk controls from the highest level of protection down to the lowest and least reliable protection.
Hierarchy of Control Steps | The Triangle
Substitution. Engineering controls. Administrative controls. Personal protective equipment.
The hierarchy of controls should be used by starting with elimination and if this is not possible, then finding a substitute risk management process solution and so on.
GHS uses three hazard classes: Health Hazards, Physical Hazards and Environmental Hazards.
PPE is not the most effective safety measure because it places only a barrier between the worker and the hazard. The hazard still exists; so if the right PPE is not worn properly or when it is needed, or the PPE fails (for example, gloves leak), the worker is not protected.
Substitution, the second most effective hazard control, involves replacing something that produces a hazard with something that does not produce a hazard or produces a lesser hazard—for example, replacing lead-based paint with titanium white.
Select controls according to a hierarchy that emphasizes engineering solutions (including elimination or substitution) first, followed by safe work practices, administrative controls, and finally personal protective equipment.
The six principles of control activities are: 1) Establishment of responsibility, 2) Segregation of duties, 3) Documentation procedures, 4) Physical controls, 5) Independent internal verification, 6) Human resource controls.
Elimination. Elimination is the best and most effective control. If a hazard is serious, and the risk cannot be reduced to an acceptable level, then it should be eliminated.
To help you identify hazards in the workplace, we've outlined 6 common examples of workplace hazards. These are safety hazards, physical / environmental hazards, biological hazards (biohazards), chemical hazards, ergonomic hazards and psychosocial hazards.
Below are the five steps to risk assessment, as outlined by the HSE. These steps should be adhered to when creating a risk assessment. Workplace hazards can come in many forms, such as physical, mental, chemical, and biological, to name just a few.
Common examples include mechanical guards, interlocking systems and safeguarding devices such as fences, safety mats and two-hand controls. While engineering controls aren't as protective as elimination or substitution, they still control exposure at the source of the hazard, before it comes into contact with workers.