123 Introduction to Job Hazard Analysis

Preventive Measures - Safe Job Procedure

After reviewing your list of hazards with the employee, next consider using hazard control methods that will eliminate or reduce them.

There are two primary strategies to permanently or temporarily reduce the risk of injury:

Each of these strategies employs a number of prioritized methods within what's called the 'Hierarchy of Controls.' The rest of this module will discuss the various hazard control methods within the hierarchy.

Hazard Control Strategies

Information obtained from a job hazard analysis is most useful when hazard control measures are developed and incorporated into the job.

A basic hazard control principle is that we must either (1) eliminate the hazard or (2) control exposure to the hazard. The second principle is that it's more effective to eliminate the hazard than to control exposure to the hazard. These two important principles guide safety and health professionals in constructing a "hierarchy" of 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.

1. Elimination: Eliminate the hazard if you can. If you can do that, you eliminate exposure at the same time, and risk of an accident.
2. Substitution: If you can replace a greater hazard with a lesser hazard, you mitigate the risk.
3. Engineering controls: Design and redesign of equipment and machinery reduces exposure primarily through enclosure, isolation, barriers, and ventilation.
4. Warnings: To raise awareness of the hazards to which employees may be exposed, warnings in the form of signs, placards, cones, and barriers are used.
5. Work practice controls: Reduce exposure to the hazard through training, policies, procedures, practice, etc.
6. Personal Protective Equipment: Prevents employee contact with the hazards.

The idea behind this hierarchy is that the control methods at the top of the list are potentially more effective and protective than those at the bottom. Following the hierarchy normally leads to the implementation of inherently safer systems, ones where the risk of illness or injury has been substantially reduced.

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.

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