Lower Priority Strategies
The final three control strategies are less effective than elimination, substitution, and engineering controls in the long term because they do not remove the hazard, itself.
These controls aim to reduce exposure to hazards by managing behaviors - changing our actions.
- Warnings: Signs and labels that convey messages such as "Keep Out" or "May cause eye irritation" are used to alert employees to hazards. It's essential to note that employees may not always pay attention to posted warning signs unless compliance is enforced. To illustrate this concept, consider your behavior when driving a vehicle. Do you adhere to the posted speed limit, or the enforced speed limit? Note: We have listed warnings as a distinct hazard control strategy to align the training with ANSI Z10. However, OSHA classifies the use of warnings as an "administrative control."
- Administrative/Work Practice Controls: This control strategy also aims to reduce exposure by limiting the distance and duration of exposure to hazards. Employers may implement job rotation, work/break schedules, and improved work procedures and practices to achieve this. For example, develop and implement a safe work procedure for preventative maintenance on air conditioning equipment.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): Some jobs legally require the use of PPE. PPE acts as a barrier between workers and hazards and should be used in conjunction with other control strategies, not as a replacement for them. When other controls cannot adequately eliminate or reduce hazards, PPE may be necessary in addition to those strategies. Remember, PPE does not eliminate or reduce the hazard itself; it creates a barrier between you and the hazard. Its effectiveness largely depends on employees' behavior.
As long as employees comply with warning signs, administrative controls, and wear PPE when required, these control strategies will be effective. However, human beings are natural risk-takers, and it's 'normal' for us to prioritize efficiency in our work. Sometimes, safe work procedures are not perceived as efficient, so we may resist using them. Here's an important principle to remember:
Interim Measures
Using a lower-priority hazard control method over a higher-priority control strategy may be appropriate for providing temporary protection until the hazard is permanently abated. If the hazard cannot be eliminated entirely, interim control measures will likely involve a combination of control methods used together. OSHA believes that feasible interim measures are always available if higher-level control methods are not possible.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
7-4. Which hazard control strategy attempts to reduce exposure by limiting the hazard exposure duration?
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