171 Healthcare: Hazardous Chemicals

Chemical Hazard Control Strategies

Traditionally, a prioritized "Hierarchy of Controls" (HOC) has been used to implement feasible and effective exposure controls to protect workers. We encourage the use of the HOC as described within the ANSI/ASSP Z10, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, to control hazards. The six strategies are discussed below.

The first three strategies, elimination, substitution, and engineering controls are given top priority because they focus on eliminating or mitigating the hazard.

1. Elimination: The best solution is to totally eliminate hazardous substances in the workplace.
2. Substitution: If you can't remove toxic substances, you may be able to replace them with substances that are less toxic.
3. Engineering Controls: Redesign or modify processes that use toxic chemicals to eliminate or reduce exposure to the hazard.

The remaining three strategies, warnings, work practice controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE) focus on controlling what employees do to reduce exposure to the hazard.

4. Warnings: This strategy influences behavior by raising employee hazard awareness. Examples include signs, barriers, and alarms that help employees become aware of health hazards.
5. Work Practice Controls: The goal of work practice controls is to protect employees through the use of safe procedures. To do that, the employer can develop mandatory procedures and rules that reduce exposure.
6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Each employee can be protected when they exposure to chemicals cannot be engineered completely out of normal operations or maintenance work, and when safe work practices and other controls cannot provide sufficient additional protection.

Remember, the first question you want to ask is, "How can I eliminate, reduce, or engineer out the hazard?" Hopefully you'll be able to eliminate the hazard or reduce it to the point where safe behaviors or PPE won't be necessary.

Interim Measures

Using a lower priority hazard control method over another higher priority control strategy may be appropriate for providing interim (temporary) protection until the hazard is abated permanently. If you can't eliminate the hazard entirely, the interim control measures will likely be a combination of control methods used together. OSHA believes that feasible interim measures are always available if higher-level control methods are not possible.

Medical Services and First Aid

If the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to harmful corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body must be provided within the immediate area for emergency use. [29 CFR 1910.151(c)]

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