Sheet 32Mix-up sheet · Struck-by, caught-in, tools and PPE
Hierarchy of controls: which fix ranks highest
The hierarchy of controls ranks fixes by how little they rely on people doing the right thing every time: elimination, then substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and, last, personal protective equipment (PPE). On a jobsite it turns "make it safer" into an order of attack: start at the top and work down only as far as you have to.
The higher the tier, the less the control depends on each worker's choices. NIOSH uses this order, and OSHA standards put engineering and administrative controls ahead of PPE.scroll →Talking point 02
Which tier wins?
Cards on ranking fixes for dust, vapors, noise and traffic, sorting a fix into its tier, and choosing controls for one step of a JHA. The notes name the tier of every option.
Card 1 of 6 · 0 right
Card 1
A painting contractor plans to use a solvent-based epoxy coating in a building stairwell. Which control option ranks HIGHEST on the hierarchy of controls?
Pick an answer. A short note for each option, A to D, appears here.
ACorrect: substituting a water-based product removes most of the solvent hazard at its source, which ranks above engineering, administrative and PPE controls.
BRespirators are PPE, the last line of defense, and depend on fit, maintenance and consistent use.
CNight scheduling is administrative and mainly protects building occupants, not the painters.
DExhaust ventilation is a sound engineering control, but it manages vapors still being generated rather than removing their source.
Card 2
Masons are cutting concrete block with a dry cut-off saw, creating visible silica dust. Which control ranks HIGHEST in the hierarchy of controls?
Pick an answer. A short note for each option, A to D, appears here.
ACorrect: integrated water delivery suppresses dust at the source, an engineering control that ranks above administrative measures and PPE.
BSigns are an administrative warning that keeps others away but does nothing for the masons' own exposure.
CRespirators are PPE, the lowest level of the hierarchy, and leave the dust cloud in place.
DRotation is administrative and spreads the exposure across more workers instead of reducing it.
Card 3
A diesel generator runs all shift next to a crew's work area and is the main noise source. Which option is an ENGINEERING control for this noise?
Pick an answer. A short note for each option, A to D, appears here.
AEarmuffs are PPE regardless of rating; they protect the wearer without reducing the noise.
BCorrect: an enclosure blocks the noise path at the source, which is what makes it an engineering control.
CSigns warn workers of the hazard but do not lower the noise level at all.
DRotating workers limits time in the noise, which makes it an administrative control.
Card 4
Under OSHA's respiratory protection rules, when is it appropriate for a supervisor to rely on respirators to control an airborne hazard?
Pick an answer. A short note for each option, A to D, appears here.
ALower cost does not change the order; feasible engineering controls remain the primary means of protection.
BWaiting for complaints means workers are already overexposed before any protection is provided.
CCorrect: respirators are used when feasible engineering controls are not enough or while those controls are being installed.
DA short task still needs control if the exposure exceeds the limit; duration alone does not exempt it.
Card 5
A JHA for cutting openings in a concrete deck identifies a fall hazard at each new opening. How should the supervisor select controls for this step?
Pick an answer. A short note for each option, A to D, appears here.
APPE is the last line of defense, so starting with harnesses skips options like covering or guarding each opening.
BMeeting the bare minimum at the lowest cost ignores more effective controls that remove the fall hazard.
CCrew input is valuable, but preference cannot override how effective a control is.
DCorrect: controls are selected by working down the hierarchy from elimination toward PPE, choosing the most effective feasible option.
Card 6
A highway crew will work for several weeks beside a live 55-mph traffic lane. Which control provides the MOST effective protection from errant vehicles?
Pick an answer. A short note for each option, A to D, appears here.
ACorrect: Positive protection such as a concrete barrier physically stops an errant vehicle, making it the highest-ranked control here.
BHigh-visibility garments help drivers see workers but give no physical protection from a vehicle.
CSigns and reduced speed limits depend on drivers noticing and complying, which an errant driver by definition is not doing.
DFlaggers regulate traffic flow but cannot stop a vehicle that leaves its lane, and they are exposed themselves.
Talking point 03
One example per tier
Construction examples and why each sits where it doesscroll →
Tier
Jobsite example
Why it ranks there
Elimination
Building a stair or truss section on the ground and lifting it in, so the work at height never happens
Nothing left to control
Substitution
A battery or electric cut-off saw in place of a gas one inside a building
The carbon monoxide source is gone; the saw's other hazards remain
Engineering
Local exhaust pulling welding fume away from the welder's breathing zone
Works whether or not anyone thinks about it
Administrative
Rotating crews off a plate compactor, a spotter for a backing truck, training
Works only while people follow the rule
PPE
Hearing protection, gloves, a harness and lanyard
Works only if each person wears it, fitted and maintained
Talking point 04
Where the tiers blur
Guardrails and harnesses are the classic pairing. A guardrail system keeps everyone from reaching the edge, which makes it an engineering control. A personal fall arrest system protects only the person wearing it, tied off correctly, so it ranks with PPE. Selection, fit and care of PPE are on the struck-by, caught-in, tools and PPE sheet.
A substitute can bring a hazard of its own. A less toxic solvent may be more flammable, and a battery tool trades exhaust for charging and battery storage. The swap still counts as substitution; the new hazard goes through the same ranking.
Some standards write the ranking into the rule. The silica Table 1 sheet shows one that lists the control for each task, and the construction noise limits sheet shows one that puts hearing protection after other controls.