PPE - Engineering and Work Practice Controls

On its webpage PPE for Emergency Response and Recovery Workers, OSHA notes that employers must complete one crucial step after hazard assessment and before initiating use of PPE: employers must "follow the hierarchy of controls - including elimination/substitution and engineering, work practice, and administrative controls - before relying on PPE to protect workers."

OSHA defines an engineering control as a physical change to the "machine or work environment to prevent employee exposure to the potential hazard." Some examples of how to eliminate hazards via engineering controls include the following:

• Providing initial design specifications that eliminate hazards
• Providing proper ventilation
• Substituting worksite materials with less harmful materials
• Safely isolating or enclosing a process (to eliminate contamination or hazards)
• Changing a process (to eliminate contamination or hazards)

OSHA defines work practice controls as removing "employees from exposure to the potential hazard by changing the way they do their jobs." Some examples of ways to eliminate hazards via work practice control include the following:

• Rotating workers on the job
• Practicing proper personal hygiene
• Practicing proper housekeeping and maintenance

To learn more about HAZWOPER visit our HAZWOPER 40 Hour Online Training web page.