If you’re responsible for workers in construction, field services, or industrial operations, you’ve probably heard about the hierarchy of hazard controls, but maybe not in a way that feels practical on a busy jobsite.
The hierarchy of controls is OSHA and NIOSH’s preferred way to control hazards, ranking methods from most effective (elimination) to least effective (PPE).(CDC)
When you really understand it and build it into your safety program, training, and systems, you don’t just reduce risk. You lower costs, avoid rework, win better contracts, and turn safety into a profitable part of your business. That’s exactly what Safety Evolution helps companies do with safety software, training courses, and professional safety services.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
What the hierarchy of controls is (OSHA & NIOSH view)
The five levels: elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE
Practical examples for construction, service companies, and manufacturing
How to actually apply the hierarchy during hazard assessments, JSAs, and SOP design
Common mistakes (like jumping straight to PPE)
Where training (OSHA 10/30 & task-specific courses) and software support real-world implementation
For construction owners, service company owners, and HSE managers, the hierarchy of hazard controls is more than a textbook pyramid:
It’s how you decide which controls are worth investing in
It shapes your equipment choices, designs, and work methods
It directly impacts incident rates, insurance premiums, and project profitability
It’s embedded in OSHA and NIOSH guidance on controlling exposures(CDC)
Teams that truly use the hierarchy of controls:
Have fewer recordable incidents, less downtime, and fewer surprise costs
Spend less time chasing paperwork and more time doing productive work
Can prove due diligence when clients, auditors, or regulators ask questions
Safety Evolution’s role is to make this practical: using digital safety management, structured training, and consulting to help you implement higher-level controls. Consistently and profitably.
The hierarchy of controls is a ranked system for controlling workplace hazards, from most effective to least effective:(CDC)
Elimination – Remove the hazard completely
Substitution – Replace it with something safer
Engineering Controls – Isolate people from the hazard
Administrative Controls – Change how people work
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Protect the worker with gear
NIOSH and OSHA promote this approach because higher-level controls (elimination, substitution, engineering) do not rely heavily on human behavior, while administrative controls and PPE do.(CDC)
Not all controls are equal: some remove the hazard, others just reduce exposure
It helps employers prioritize investments: spend first on controls that give the biggest reduction in risk
It drives safety professionals to fix the system, not just “blame the worker”
When business owners understand this hierarchy, safety conversations shift from “Did they wear PPE?” to “How can we design this job so the hazard is gone or contained?”
In the United States:
NIOSH describes the hierarchy of controls as the preferred order of actions to control workplace exposures, starting with elimination and substitution, followed by engineering, administrative controls, and PPE.(CDC)
OSHA references the hierarchy when discussing controlling exposures to hazards like chemicals and toxic substances.(OSHA)
The hierarchy aligns with OSHA expectations under the General Duty Clause—you must furnish a workplace free from recognized hazards where feasible.
For U.S. employers, using the hierarchy of hazard controls isn’t just “best practice,” it’s closely tied to how OSHA expects you to reason about hazards, corrective actions, and feasibility.
Here’s a simple, repeatable process your supervisors and HSE team can use.
Use inspections, JSAs/JHAs, incident reports, worker input
Describe the hazard in plain language: “Unprotected edge at 14 feet,” not just “fall hazard”
Ask, in order:
Can we eliminate it?
Change the design or process so the hazard is gone
Example: Prefabricate components at ground level instead of working at height
If not, can we substitute?
Swap tools, chemicals, or processes for safer ones
Example: Use a less-toxic solvent; use battery-powered tools instead of corded ones
If not, what engineering controls are possible?
Guarding, barriers, ventilation, automation, interlocks
Only after exhausting these do you move to:
Administrative controls – Procedures, training, rotation, permits, checklists
PPE – Hard hats, gloves, respirators, fall protection, etc.
Record what options you considered and why
This is where safety software helps: link hazards, controls, tasks, and training records in one place
Integrate new controls into SOPs, toolbox talks, and formal courses like OSHA 10, OSHA 30, hazard communication, and task-specific training
Track completion using your LMS or safety platform
Inspect controls regularly
Ask workers if the control works in real-life conditions
Adjust as needed and update your hierarchy-based assessments
Definition: Remove the hazard so exposure is impossible.(CDC)
Examples for your world:
Construction: Design rooftop equipment so it’s accessible from ground level; remove unnecessary roof work
Service companies: Use remote diagnostics instead of climbing into hazardous spaces
Manufacturing: Remove a manual cutting process by switching to a safer prefabricated component
Definition: Replace the hazard with something less hazardous.(CDC)
Examples:
Swap a solvent with a lower VOC or lower toxicity
Use quieter equipment to reduce noise exposure
Replace a high-energy tool with a lower-risk alternative
Definition: Isolate people from the hazard through physical means.(CDC)
Examples:
Guardrails and leading-edge protection for work at heights
Machine guarding, interlocks, and light curtains
Local exhaust ventilation on welding stations
Enclosed chemical mixing stations
Definition: Change the way people work: policies, procedures, and scheduling.(CDC)
Examples:
Job rotation to limit noise or heat exposure
Permit-to-work systems for confined spaces or hot work
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) and checklists
Toolbox talks, task briefings, and documented JSAs
Definition: Equipment worn by workers to reduce exposure.
Examples:
Hard hats, safety glasses, gloves
Hearing protection, respirators
Fall arrest harnesses and lanyards
PPE is still essential, but it should be the last line of defense, not the first solution.
Hazard: Workers installing HVAC units on a high roof
Better Approach Using the Hierarchy:
Elimination: Design project so units are installed at ground level and craned fully assembled
Engineering: Install permanent guardrails or parapets
Administrative: Create a rooftop access permit and work procedures
PPE: Full fall protection system, harness, and training
Where Safety Evolution helps:
Use software to log the hazard, assign controls, and verify corrective actions
Train workers via fall protection and OSHA 10/30 courses
Hazard: Technicians using a harsh degreasing solvent
Hierarchy in Action:
Substitution: Switch to a less hazardous product
Engineering: Add local exhaust or enclosed cleaning systems
Administrative: Written procedure, storage rules, spill response
PPE: Chemical-resistant gloves, goggles, aprons
Support from Safety Evolution:
Build chemical-specific SOPs, attach SDS, and track training in the system
Deliver hazard communication, PPE, and chemical handling courses
Hazard: Prolonged exposure to high noise levels
Hierarchy in Action:
Elimination/Substitution: Replace the loudest equipment with quieter models
Engineering: Enclose machines, add acoustic panels
Administrative: Rotate staff, enforce quiet zones, limit exposure time
PPE: Hearing protection and audiometric testing
How we fit:
Use safety professional services to design a practical noise-control strategy
Track fit-testing, hearing conservation training, and inspections in Safety Evolution’s platform
Mistake 1: Jumping straight to PPE
Fix: During JSAs and incident reviews, force the team to walk the hierarchy from elimination downwards, not from PPE upwards.
Mistake 2: Treating the hierarchy as “one-and-done”
Fix: Revisit controls after changes in equipment, processes, or incidents. Make review part of your safety management cycle.
Mistake 3: No documentation of why certain controls were chosen
Fix: Use a digital system to record assessed options, feasibility, and final decisions. This protects you with OSHA and clients.
Mistake 4: Training not aligned to controls
Fix: If you add or change controls, update training immediately. Toolbox talks plus formal courses like OSHA 10, OSHA 30, fall protection, lockout/tagout, confined space, hazard communication, and equipment-specific courses through Safety Evolution’s training catalog.
Mistake 5: Not leveraging higher-level controls because of cost
Fix: Calculate long-term savings: fewer incidents, less downtime, better bid compliance. Higher-level controls often pay for themselves and your safety program becomes a profit lever, not just a cost center.
Q1. What is the hierarchy of hazard controls in OSHA/NIOSH terms?
The hierarchy of hazard controls is a ranked approach to controlling workplace hazards: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment, from most effective to least effective.(CDC)
Q2. Why is elimination at the top of the hierarchy of controls?
Because eliminating the hazard removes the risk entirely. No exposure, no chance of harm, making it the most effective control.
Q3. What is an example of the hierarchy of controls in construction?
For work at heights, you might design out the elevation (elimination), use prefabrication at ground level (substitution), install guardrails (engineering), implement rooftop permits and work plans (administrative), and provide fall arrest PPE as a last resort.
Q4. How does the hierarchy of controls relate to OSHA compliance?
OSHA expects employers to use feasible engineering and administrative controls before relying solely on PPE when controlling exposures to hazards like chemicals, noise, and physical risks.(OSHA)
Q5. How can software support the hierarchy of controls?
Digital safety software lets you log hazards, link them to specific controls, track corrective actions, attach JSAs and SOPs, and connect all of it to training and inspections. Creating a closed-loop system.
Q6. Which training courses help workers apply the hierarchy of controls?
Courses like OSHA 10, OSHA 30, hazard communication, fall protection, lockout/tagout, confined space, and equipment-specific training all reinforce hazard recognition and the application of the hierarchy of controls. You can deliver and track these through Safety Evolution’s training programs.
Q7. Does the hierarchy of controls apply to service companies as well as plants and jobsites?
Yes. The hierarchy of controls is universal, it applies to field technicians, facility maintenance, shops, and offices just as much as large construction or manufacturing sites.(HSE Study Guide)
The hierarchy of hazard controls ranks control methods from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE.(CDC)
OSHA and NIOSH expect employers to prioritize higher-level controls wherever feasible.
Applying the hierarchy systematically turns safety from a reactive obligation into a strategic, profitable part of your business.
Real value comes when the hierarchy is built into hazard assessments, JSAs, SOPs, training, and digital systems.
Training (OSHA 10/30 and task-specific courses), software, and consulting make it realistic to apply at scale.
If you want a safety program that’s compliant, defensible, and profitable, Safety Evolution can help you operationalize the hierarchy of controls across your organization.
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