Hierarchy of hazard controls - wikipedia Hierarchy of hazard controls System used in industry to eliminate or minimize exposure to hazards Infographic by NIOSH. Control methods at the top of graphic are potentially more effective and protective than those at the bottom. Following this hierarchy normally leads to the implementation of inherently safer systems, where the risk of illness or injury has been substantially reduced. Occupational hazards Physical Chemical Biological Psychosocial Hierarchy of hazard controls Elimination Substitution Engineering controls Administrative controls Personal protective equipment Prevention through design Occupational hygiene Occupational exposure limit Exposure assessment Workplace health surveillance Occupational epidemiology Occupational toxicology Hierarchy of hazard control is a system used in industry to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazards. It is a widely accepted system promoted by numerous safety organizations. This concept is taught to managers in industry, to be promoted as standard practice in the workplace. Various illustrations are used to depict this system, most commonly a triangle. The hazard controls in the hierarchy are, in order of decreasing effectiveness : Elimination Substitution Engineering controls Administrative controls Personal protective equipment Contents 1 Components of the hierarchy 1.1 Elimination 1.2 Substitution 1.3 Engineering controls 1.4 Administrative controls 1.5 Personal protective equipment 2 Role in Prevention through Design 3 See also 4 References 5 External links Components of the Hierarchy Elimination Main article : Hazard elimination Physically removing the hazard -- is the most effective hazard control. For example, if employees must work high above the ground, the hazard can be eliminated by moving the piece they are working on to ground level to eliminate the need to work at heights. Substitution Main article : Hazard substitution This pesticide contains DDT, an effective substitution would be to replace it with a green pesticide. Substitution, the second most effective hazard control, involves replacing something that produces a hazard ( similar to elimination ) with something that does not produce a hazard -- for example, replacing lead - based paint with titanium white. To be an effective control, the new product must not produce another hazard. Because airborne dust can be hazardous, if a product can be purchased with a larger particle size, the smaller product may effectively be substituted with the larger product. Engineering controls Main article : Engineering controls The third most effective means of controlling hazards is engineered controls. These do not eliminate hazards, but rather isolate people from hazards. Capital costs of engineered controls tend to be higher than less effective controls in the hierarchy, however they may reduce future costs. For example, a crew might build a work platform rather than purchase, replace, and maintain fall arrest equipment. `` Enclosure and isolation '' creates a physical barrier between personnel and hazards, such as using remotely controlled equipment. Fume hoods can remove airborne contaminants as a means of engineered control. Administrative controls This sign warns people that there are explosives in Walker Lake, however it can not prevent people from swimming in it. Main article : Administrative controls Administrative controls are changes to the way people work. Examples of administrative controls include procedure changes, employee training, and installation of signs and warning labels ( such as those in the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System ). Administrative controls do not remove hazards, but limit or prevent people 's exposure to the hazards, such as completing road construction at night when fewer people are driving. Personal protective equipment Main article : Personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment ( PPE ) includes gloves, Nomex / Uniform, respirators, hard hats, safety glasses, high - visibility clothing, and safety footwear. PPE is the least effective means of controlling hazards because of the high potential for damage to render PPE ineffective. Additionally, some PPE, such as respirators, increase physiological effort to complete a task and, therefore, may require medical examinations to ensure workers can use the PPE without risking their health. Role in Prevention through Design The hierarchy of controls is a core component of Prevention through Design, the concept of applying methods to minimize occupational hazards early in the design process. Prevention through Design emphasizes addressing hazards at the top of the hierarchy of controls ( mainly through elimination and substitution ) at the earliest stages of project development. See also Prevention through design Control banding Job safety analysis Safety engineering References This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Jump up ^ `` Hierarchy of Controls ''. U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 31. Jump up ^ `` Hierarchy of Controls '' ( PDF ). Health and Safety Authority ( Ireland ). ^ Jump up to : `` Hierarchy of Hazard Controls ''. New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health. Archived from the original on 2012 - 03 - 05. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 11. Jump up ^ `` How the hierarchy of control can help you fulfil your health and safety duties ''. Occupational Health & Safety Handbook. 2012 - 01 - 20. Archived from the original on 2013 - 01 - 14. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 11. ^ Jump up to : `` Hazard Control ''. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. 2006 - 04 - 20. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 11. ^ Jump up to : `` Engineering Controls ''. U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Tree Work -- Working at height ''. UK Health and Safety Executive. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Hierarchy of control diagram ''. Safework SA. Archived from the original on 2014 - 03 - 27. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Hierarchy of Controls ''. SA Unions. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 11. Jump up ^ MANUAL HANDLING HIERARCHY OF CONTROLS Archived 2012 - 09 - 07 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Manual Handling : Hierarchy of Controls '' ( PDF ). WorkCover New South Wales. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2014 - 12 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Hazard identification, risk assessment & risk control in the workplace ''. WorkSafe Victoria. Archived from the original on 2013 - 10 - 23. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 11. Jump up ^ `` CDC - Hierarchy of Controls - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic ''. www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 07. External links Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety document Hierarchy of prevention and control measures on OSH Wiki ( EU ) Occupational safety and health Occupational diseases and injuries Acrodynia Asbestosis Asthma Berylliosis Brucellosis Byssinosis ( `` brown lung '' ) Chalicosis Chimney sweeps ' carcinoma Chronic solvent - induced encephalopathy ( CSE ) Coalworker 's pneumoconiosis ( `` black lung '' ) Concussions in sport Decompression sickness De Quervain syndrome Exposure to human nail dust Farmer 's lung Fiddler 's neck Flock worker 's lung Glassblower 's cataract Golfer 's elbow Hearing Loss Hospital - acquired infection Indium lung Laboratory animal allergy Lead poisoning Mad hatter disease Mesothelioma Metal fume fever Mule spinners ' cancer Noise - induced hearing loss Phossy jaw Pneumoconiosis Radium jaw Repetitive strain injury Silicosis Silo - filler 's disease Sports injury Surfer 's ear Tennis elbow Tinnitus Writer 's cramp Occupational hygiene Occupational hazard Hierarchy of hazard controls Prevention through design Exposure assessment Occupational exposure limit Occupational epidemiology Professions Environmental health Industrial engineering Occupational health nursing Occupational health psychology Occupational medicine Occupational therapist Safety engineering Agencies and organizations European Agency for Safety and Health at Work UK Health and Safety Executive International Labour Organization U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration World Health Organization Standards Bangladesh Accord ISO 45001 Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 Worker Protection Standard ( US ) Working Environment Convention, 1977 See also Environment, health and safety Environmental toxicology Ergonomics Health physics Indoor air quality International Chemical Safety Card National Day of Mourning ( Canadian observance ) Process safety management Public health Risk management Safety data sheet ( SDS ) Toxic tort Workers ' compensation Occupational diseases Commons Journals Organizations Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hierarchy_of_hazard_controls&oldid=835930634 '' Categories : Hazard analysis Occupational safety and health Public health Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles with short description Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 11 April 2018, at 16 : 56 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: which type of hazard control is most likely to eliminate hazards
Answer: Physically removing the hazard