Warnings
Warnings promote employee awareness of hazards. They do not prevent exposure to a hazard, but they do provide a visual, audible, and/or tactile indicator to warn people of potential danger. Greater awareness is gained by using signs, alarms, signals, labels, placards, cones, and other methods.
For example, a warning sign might be used to keep workers from entering a confined space. However, warning signs used instead of correcting a hazard that can and should be corrected are not acceptable forms of hazard control.
Work Practice Controls
If engineering controls cannot be implemented, or cannot be implemented right away, work practice controls should be considered. These methods for protecting workers have usually proven to be less effective than elimination, substitution, and engineering controls. Why? Because administrative controls may require significant effort and discipline by the affected workers.
A major weakness inherent in the use of work practice controls is that they work only so long as employees comply with the controls.
Work practice controls involve changes in workplace procedures and practices. They can include such things as:
- using safe procedures for transportiing chemicals
- reducing the time workers are exposed to a hazard
- good housekeeping practices
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-4. What is a major weakness in the use of administrative controls to reduce exposure to hazards?
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