1. BASIC PRINCIPLES IN OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE
Day 2

2. 9 - GENERAL APPROACHES TO THE CONTROL OF HEALTH RISKS

3. Control Prevent exposure or minimise depending on health effects
Is a control effective and useable
Combinations of controls usually required
Hierarchical approach

4. Types of Control Measures
Source: A Hirst & J Dobbie

5. Elimination/Substitution
The most effective form of prevention control is simply to either eliminate the use of the hazardous agent, or the actual process in which it is used
Hazardous agents or processes can be substituted with relatively less harmful ones

6. Isolation / Segregation
Wherever possible processes or operations, which involve some risk(s) to health, should be completely enclosed, with the operator(s) outside the enclosure
Segregation
Hazardous processes or operations etc. can be segregated from lower risk ones by placing them, for example, at the far end of a workshop, in a separate room

7. Engineering – Ventilation
Processes capable of producing exposures to hazardous substances are commonly controlled by the provision of mechanical air handling methods
Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)
General / Dilution Ventilation

8. Administrative / PPE
Administrative controls relate to how the interaction between personnel and the process/operation are organised
Housekeeping
- Good housekeeping is particularly important
Information, Instruction and Training
- Education of employees on any health hazards in the workplace and the importance of correctly using all the control measures provided
PPE is normally considered to be the last resort, but may also be the first thing to implement for the short term