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Hazard Prevention and

Control
Effective controls protect workers from workplace
hazards; help avoid injuries, illnesses, and
incidents; minimize or eliminate safety and health
risks; and help employers provide workers with
safe and healthful working conditions. The
processes described in this section will help
employers prevent and control hazards identified
in the previous section.

To effectively control and prevent hazards,

employers should:

Involve workers, who often have the best

understanding of the conditions that create
hazards and insights into how they can be
controlled.
Identify and evaluate options for controlling
hazards, using a "hierarchy of controls."
Use a hazard control plan to guide the
selection and implementation of controls, and
implement controls according to the plan.
Develop plans with measures to protect
workers during emergencies and nonroutine
activities.
Evaluate the effectiveness of existing controls
to determine whether they continue to provide
protection, or whether different controls may
be more effective. Review new technologies
for their potential to be more protective, more
reliable, or less costly.

Action item 1: Identify control options

Action item 2: Select controls

Action item 3: Develop and update a hazard

control plan

Action item 4: Select controls to protect

workers during nonroutine operations and
emergencies

Action item 5: Implement selected controls in

the workplace

Action item 6: Follow up to confirm that

controls are effective

Action item 1: Identify control options

A wealth of information exists to help employers
investigate options for controlling identified
hazards. Before selecting any control options, it is
essential to solicit workers' input on their
feasibility and effectiveness.

How to accomplish it
Collect, organize, and review information with
workers to determine what types of hazards may
be present and which workers may be exposed or
potentially exposed. Information available in the
workplace may include:

Review sources such as OSHA standards and

guidance, industry consensus standards,
National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) publications, manufacturers'
literature, and engineering reports to identify
potential control measures. Keep current on
relevant information from trade or professional
associations.
Investigate control measures used in other
workplaces and determine whether they would
be effective at your workplace.
Get input from workers who may be able to
suggest and evaluate solutions based on their
knowledge of the facility, equipment, and work
processes.
For complex hazards, consult with safety and
health experts, including OSHA's On-site
Consultation Program.

Action item 2: Select controls

Employers should select the controls that are the

most feasible, effective, and permanent.

How to accomplish it
Eliminate or control all serious hazards
(hazards that are causing or are likely to cause
death or serious physical harm) immediately.
Use interim controls while you develop and
implement longer-term solutions.
Select controls according to a hierarchy that
emphasizes engineering solutions (including
elimination or substitution) first, followed by
safe work practices, administrative controls,
and finally personal protective equipment.
Avoid selecting controls that may directly or
indirectly introduce new hazards. Examples
include exhausting contaminated air into
occupied work spaces or using hearing
protection that makes it difficult to hear
backup alarms.
Review and discuss control options with
workers to ensure that controls are feasible
and effective.
Use a combination of control options when no
single method fully protects workers.

Note: Whenever possible, select equipment,

machinery, and materials that are inherently safer
based on the application of "Prevention through
Design" (PtD) principles. Apply PtD when making
your own facility, equipment, or product design
decisions. For more information, see the link to
the NIOSH PtD initiative in Additional Resources.

Action item 3: Develop and update a hazard

control plan
A hazard control plan describes how the selected
controls will be implemented. An effective plan will
address serious hazards first. Interim controls may
be necessary, but the overall goal is to ensure
effective long-term control of hazards. It is
important to track progress toward completing the
control plan and periodically (at least annually and
when conditions, processes or equipment
change) verify that controls remain effective.

How to accomplish it
List the hazards needing controls in order of
priority.
Assign responsibility for installing or
implementing the controls to a specific person
or persons with the power or ability to
implement the controls.
Establish a target completion date.
Plan how you will track progress toward
completion.
Plan how you will verify the effectiveness of
controls after they are installed or
implemented.

Action item 4: Select controls to protect

workers during nonroutine operations and
emergencies
The hazard control plan should include provisions
to protect workers during nonroutine operations
and foreseeable emergencies. Depending on your
workplace, these could include fires and
explosions; chemical releases; hazardous material
spills; unplanned equipment shutdowns;
infrequent maintenance activities; natural and
weather disasters; workplace violence; terrorist or
criminal attacks; disease outbreaks (e.g.,
pandemic influenza); or medical emergencies.
Nonroutine tasks, or tasks workers don't normally
do, should be approached with particular caution.
Prior to initiating such work, review job hazard
analyses and job safety analyses with any workers
involved and notify others about the nature of the
work, work schedule, and any necessary
precautions.

How to accomplish it
Develop procedures to control hazards that
may arise during nonroutine operations (e.g.,
removing machine guarding during
maintenance and repair).
Develop or modify plans to control hazards
that may arise in emergency situations.
Procure any equipment needed to control
emergency-related hazards.
Assign responsibilities for implementing the
emergency plan.
Conduct emergency drills to ensure that
procedures and equipment provide adequate
protection during emergency situations.

Note: Depending on your location, type of

business, and materials stored or used on site,
authorities including local fire and emergency
response departments, state agencies, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the Department
of Homeland Security, and OSHA may have
additional requirements for emergency plans.
Ensure that your procedures comply with these
requirements.

Action item 5: Implement selected controls

in the workplace
Once hazard prevention and control measures
have been identified, they should be implemented
according to the hazard control plan.

How to accomplish it
Implement hazard control measures according
to the priorities established in the hazard
control plan.
When resources are limited, implement
measures on a "worst-first" basis, according
to the hazard ranking priorities (risk)
established during hazard identification and
assessment. (Note, however, that regardless of
limited resources, employers have an
obligation to protect workers from recognized,
serious hazards.)
Promptly implement any measures that are
easy and inexpensive—e.g., general
housekeeping, removal of obvious tripping
hazards such as electrical cords, basic lighting
—regardless of the level of hazard they
involve.

Action item 6: Follow up to confirm that

controls are effective
To ensure that control measures are and remain
effective, employers should track progress in
implementing controls, inspect and evaluate
controls once they are installed, and follow routine
preventive maintenance practices.

How to accomplish it
Track progress and verify implementation by
asking the following questions:
Have all control measures been
implemented according to the hazard
control plan?
Have engineering controls been properly
installed and tested?
Have workers been appropriately trained
so that they understand the controls,
including how to operate engineering
controls, safe work practices, and PPE use
requirements?
Are controls being used correctly and
consistently?
Conduct regular inspections (and industrial
hygiene monitoring, if indicated) to confirm
that engineering controls are operating as
designed.
Evaluate control measures to determine if they
are effective or need to be modified. Involve
workers in the evaluation of the controls. If
controls are not effective, identify, select, and
implement further control measures that will
provide adequate protection.
Confirm that work practices, administrative
controls, and personal protective equipment
use policies are being followed.
Conduct routine preventive maintenance of
equipment, facilities, and controls to help
prevent incidents due to equipment failure.

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