Controlling Hazards
The Hierarchy of Controls (HOC)
As you learned earlier, there are many different types of hazards in the workplace.
Hazardous conditions include unsafe materials, equipment, environments, and employees. Unsafe work practices include allowing untrained workers to perform hazardous tasks, taking unsafe shortcuts, engaging in horseplay, or having long work schedules. To combat these hazardous conditions and unsafe work practices, control strategies called the 'Hierarchy of Controls' have been developed.
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 protect employees by eliminating or reducing the hazards themselves.
- Elimination
- Substitution
- Engineering Controls
The final three strategies protect employees by eliminating or reducing exposure to hazards.
- Warnings
- Work Practice Controls
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The idea behind HOC is that the control strategies at the top of the list are potentially more effective and protective than those at the bottom. Following the hierarchy normally leads to inherently safer systems, ones where the risk of illness or injury has been substantially reduced. Let's take a closer look at the hierarchy of control strategies.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
2-1. Which hazard control strategy has the highest priority in the Hierarchy of Controls?
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