Exposure Controls: Engineering & Work Practice Controls

Engineering controls are used to remove a chemical hazard, or to place a barrier between the worker and the chemical hazard. Typically, the initial cost of engineering controls can be high, but over time, operating costs frequently become lower. Engineering controls reduce or eliminate exposure to chemical hazards through various methods, including segregating people from hazards, repairing or replacing faulty equipment; and eliminating hazardous techniques, processes, or materials.

Work practice (or administrative) controls refer to changes in work procedures, such as written safety policies, supervision, and training, that aim to reduce the duration, frequency, and severity of exposure to hazardous chemicals. Work practice controls are routinely used in conjunction with other controls that more directly prevent or control exposure to a hazard. Unlike engineering controls, work practice controls rely on human behavior to be effective.

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