Controlling Hazards and Behaviors
Eliminating or reducing exposure to hazards is done by controlling (modifying) hazards and behaviors.
Controlling hazards are more effective than controlling behaviors, and for good reason. If you can eliminate the hazard, you don't have to worry about exposure. To do this, safety professionals use a strategy called the "Hierarchy of Controls."
ANSI/ASSP Z10, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, encourages employers to use the following hierarchy of hazard controls:
Controlling Hazards
- Elimination: Completely eliminate the hazards. For example. You can eliminate the hazards of falling to a lower surface by completing tasks at ground level.
- Substitution: Replace a more dangerous hazard with one that is less dangerous. For example, we can substitute a highly toxic chemical with a less toxic chemical.
- Engineering controls: It is possible to eliminate or reduce the hazard through design of the equipment. For instance, you can isolate a dangerous equipment by using safeguards.
Controlling Behaviors
- Warnings: To raise awareness of the hazards to which employees may be exposed, warnings in the form of signs, placards, cones, and barriers are used.
- Work practice controls: Management can reduce exposure by controlling employee practices/behaviors through the development and use of safety procedures, and rules.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): If the above control methods do not work to mitigate exposure to hazards, it may be necessary to use PPE.
It's important to understand that:
- Elimination, substitution, and engineering controls are independent variables because they do not depend on behavior to be effective: that's why they are preferred.
- Warnings, work practice, and PPE controls are dependent variables because they depend on employee compliance to be effective.
Any solution that relies solely on human behavior is inherently unreliable in the long term.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-10. Which of the following is the preferred method to control hazards?
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