Question

Question: What is Control Measures? Explain 5 types of control measures with examples

Answer 1

Control measures include actions that can be taken to reduce the potential of exposure to the hazard, or the control measure could be to remove the hazard or to reduce the likelihood of the risk of the exposure to that hazard being realized.

Following are the 5 types of control measures:

• Elimination: Elimination of the hazard is not always achievable though it does totally remove the hazard and thereby eliminates the risk of exposure. An example of this would be that petrol station attendants in Ireland are no longer exposed to the risk of chronic lead poisoning following the removal of lead from petrol products sold at forecourts.
• Substitution: Substituting the hazard may not remove all of the hazards associated with the process or activity and may introduce different hazards but the overall harm or health effects will be lessened. In laboratory research, toluene is now often used as a substitute for benzene. The solvent properties of the two are similar but toluene is less toxic and is not categorized as a carcinogen although toluene can cause severe neurological harm.
• Engineering controls: Engineering Controls involve redesigning a process to place a barrier between the person and the hazard or remove the hazard from the person, such as machinery guarding, proximity guarding, extraction systems or removing the operator to a remote location away from the hazard.
• Administrative controls: Administrative controls include adopting standard operating procedures or safe work practices or providing appropriate training, instruction or information to reduce the potential for harm and/or adverse health effects to person(s). Isolation and permit to work procedures are examples of administrative controls.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Personal protective equipment (PPE) include gloves, glasses, earmuffs, aprons, safety footwear, dust masks which are designed to reduce exposure to the hazard. PPE is usually seen as the last line of defence and is usually used in conjunction with one or more of the other control measures. An example of the weakness of this control measure is that it is widely recognised that single-use dust masks cannot consistently achieve and maintain an effective facepiece-to-face seal, and cannot be adequately fit-tested and do not offer much, if any real protection against small particulates and may lead to a false sense of security and increase risk. In such instances an extraction system with fitted respirators may be preferable where the hazard may have significant health effects from low levels of exposure such as using isocyante containing chemicals.