Hazard Identification and Control
Finding hazards before they find you
Hazard identification methods include job hazard analysis (JHA/JSA), walk-through inspections, audits, employee reports and near-miss review, incident investigations, and behavioral observation. A JHA breaks a task into steps, identifies the hazards at each step, and assigns controls; use it for high-risk or infrequent tasks and whenever a task changes.
Choosing controls
The hierarchy is the most heavily tested concept in this domain: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE. PPE and training are never primary controls, and questions often tempt you to select them. Risk ranking uses severity × likelihood; a 4 × 3 = 12 score outranks a 2 × 4 = 8. Reassess after controls to confirm the residual risk is acceptable.
Specific standards to know
- Lockout/tagout (1910.147): authorized, affected, and other employees; isolate all energy sources; verify by attempting start-up; inspect the energy-control procedure at least annually.
- Permit-required confined space (1910.146): test before entry in the order oxygen (19.5 to 23.5 percent), flammables (below 10 percent LEL), then toxics; attendant and entry supervisor roles.
- Fall protection: general industry generally 4 feet; construction 6 feet.
- Hazard communication (1910.1200): GHS-aligned labels and 16-section safety data sheets.
Traps
Watch for administrative controls (rotation, procedures) offered in place of genuine engineering controls, training described as a control that removes a hazard, or one exposure measurement assumed to describe every shift.
Worked example
A task has severity 4 and likelihood 3. The risk score is 12, placing it above a task scored 8 - the higher score is controlled first, and the score is recalculated after the control is applied.