NASCLA Accredited Commercial General ContractorGeneral RequirementsEasy
A general contractor's project manager identifies a potential safety hazard on a job site: an unprotected opening in a floor that could lead to a fall. According to OSHA's hierarchy of controls, what is the MOST effective method to address this hazard?
- ASubstituting the hazard with a less dangerous alternative, such as a temporary ramp.
- BImplementing administrative controls, such as warning signs and safety briefings.
- CProviding personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety harnesses and lanyards.
- DEliminating the hazard by immediately covering the opening with a secured floor panel.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Eliminating the hazard by immediately covering the opening with a secured floor panel.
OSHA's hierarchy of controls prioritizes hazard elimination as the most effective method. Covering the opening removes the fall hazard entirely, making it superior to warnings, PPE, or substitution, which only reduce exposure or switch to a different hazard.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Substitution replaces one hazard with another, potentially less severe, but does not eliminate the original hazard of an opening. Covering it is elimination.
- B. Administrative controls are lower on the hierarchy and less effective than physical elimination or engineering controls.
- C. PPE is the least effective control measure, used as a last resort or in conjunction with higher-level controls.
OSHA Hierarchy of Controls
A system used to determine how to implement feasible and effective controls for workplace hazards, prioritizing methods that eliminate or reduce hazards at the source.
- Ordered from most effective to least effective: Elimination, Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, PPE.
- Aim is to remove the hazard or separate workers from it.
- PPE is considered the last line of defense.
Memory trick: Every Smart Engineer Always Protects.