Hazard Identification and Control
Identification and evaluation
Hazard identification finds unsafe conditions and practices before they cause harm. Tools include worksite inspections, job hazard analysis, incident and near-miss investigations, employee reports, and exposure monitoring. Evaluation considers severity and likelihood-how bad the outcome could be and how often exposure occurs.
Control
Use the hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE. Elimination removes the hazard; substitution replaces it with something safer; engineering controls isolate people from the hazard; administrative controls change how work is done; PPE protects the individual. PPE is least reliable because it depends on fit, use, and maintenance.
Worked example
A crew is exposed to silica dust while grinding. Elimination might use pre-cut materials; substitution could use a wet saw; engineering controls include water delivery and local exhaust; administrative controls include limiting duration and housekeeping; PPE includes a respirator. The employer should use the highest feasible control, not jump to respirators.
Traps
A hazard is not the same as risk. A near miss is a free lesson-investigate it. Administrative controls such as rotation do not reduce exposure if the total dose is unchanged. PPE does not eliminate the hazard.