4.3 General Principles of Control

Question 1

health and safety control measures are designed at three levels:

Answer 1

 Workplace precautions;
 Risk control systems (RCS’s); and
 Management Controls

Question 2

ERIC SP – Eric Saves People

List them

Answer 2

 Eliminate the hazard 
 Reduce the hazard 
 Isolate people from the hazard 
 Control exposure to the hazard 
 Safe System of Work 
 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE

Question 3

Eliminate (example)

Answer 3

Buying in components rather than manufacturing on site

provision of
adequate floor power sockets would eliminate trailing cable hazards

Question 4

Reduce (example)

Answer 4

swapping a corrosive cleaning chemical
for one that is irritant or a highly flammable solvent for one that is flammable

use of 110V electrical equipment rather than
230V

Question 5

Isolate (example)

Answer 5

acoustic enclosure around a noisy machine will
contain the noise energy and keep it away from the workers

Machinery guarding to stop people reaching the dangerous parts;

Guard rails to prevent people falling off a scaffold; or

Security fencing to keep children away from construction sites

Question 6

Control (example)

Answer 6

local 
exhaust ventilation (LEV) to control dust or fume near its source

managing trigger times on vibrating equipment,
or job rotation to reduce the frequency and duration of exposure to repetitive tasks

Question 7

Determining whether or not a control measure is “reasonably practicable” requires a
balancing of _______________ against _______________

Answer 7

the costs of dealing with the risk (money, time, effort)

against

the risk of
injury (likelihood x severity).