Hierarchy of Controls
This control method physically and permanently removes a dangerous process or material from the environment.
What is Elimination?
What are the four mandatory pieces of PPE for us?
What is hardhat, high-vis safety vest, safety glasses and safety boots.
Cleaning stations, shoveling snow, and equipment hosing primarily introduce these safety risks.
What are slips, trips, falls, contact with objects, splash hazards, and extreme environmental conditions?
Continuous exposure to noise levels at or above this 8-hour TWA triggers a mandatory Hearing Conservation Program.
What is 85 dBA?
Acting as a physical shield for the worker, this category serves as the absolute last line of workplace defense.
What is PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)?
This mandatory vertical protection components shields the head against falling objects, structural debris, and impact vectors.
What is a hardhat?
These specific disposable items must be worn when collecting liquid process samples during routine inspections (but are not to be used as primary PPE).
What are nitrile gloves?
Because they are not primary eye defense, these must always be worn over impact-rated safety glasses when grinding or handling reactive fluids.
What are face shields?
Building structural guardrails, isolation barriers, or machine guards falls under this specific control tier.
What is Engineering?
This piece of equipment ensures class-standard visibility near moving vehicles, heavy cranes, or dark operational environments.
What is a high-vis vest?
Emptying bar screens, raking rags, and skimming grease require standard PPE alongside these two upgrades.
What are upgraded eye protection and task-specific gloves?
This protocol is mandatory for worker hearing defense in operational zones exceeding 100 dBA.
What is dual protection (combining earplugs and earmuffs simultaneously)?
Altering worker routines, posting warnings, and requiring mandatory shift limit schedules to lower exposure are examples of this control.
What are Administrative controls?
These provide critical impact-rated orbital defense against flying fragments, fine dust, and chemical splashes.
What are safety glasses?
To protect worker situational awareness, this action must be taken immediately with any damaged, scratched, or fogged lenses.
What is discarding them immediately?
These protective garments are required for confined space entry, tank work, and chemical spill cleanups.
What are Tyvek suits?
Ranking as step 02 in the hierarchy, this strategy involves replacing a dangerous process or material with a safer alternative.
What is Substitution?
These heavy-duty steel-toed items prevent impact, crushing, puncture injuries, or industrial chemical spills on the feet.
What are safety boots?
The height above a lower working surface that requires fall protection to be used.
What is four feet?
Concealing these safety monitoring devices beneath protective suits is strictly prohibited; they must remain fully unobstructed on the exterior at all times.
What are multi-gas monitors / gas detection equipment?