Administrative Controls
Safe Work Practices
Safe work practices may be quite specific or general.
In terms of scope, safe work practices may be an important part of a single task or applicable to many jobs in the workplace.
General safe work practices include:
- Removing slip, trip, and fall hazards
- Using safe lifting techniques
- Maintaining equipment and tools in good repair
A specific safe work practice describes one unique task such as:
- Testing the atmosphere in a confined space before entry
- Wetting down a cement block when cutting to keep the dust down
- Inspecting an electric drill before use
Interim Measures
When a hazard is recognized, the preferred correction or control cannot always be accomplished immediately. OSHA believes there is always some kind of interim measure that can be used to temporarily abate a hazard. These can range from taping down wires that pose a tripping hazard to actually shutting down an operation temporarily.
The importance of taking these interim protective actions cannot be overemphasized. There is no way to predict when a hazard will cause serious harm, and no justification to continue exposing workers unnecessarily to risk.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-9. What is the importance of taking interim protective actions when a hazard is recognized?
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