OSHA requires that controls be in place to isolate and protect employees from hazards in the workplace. OSHA provides the hierarchy of controls as an outline of their expectations for hazard control. The goal of this hierarchy is to indicate that the best and most effective types of controls are at the top, while the least effective and last-resort controls are at the bottom.
“You can’t eliminate every hazard, but the closer you can get to the top, the closer you can reach that ideal and make people healthier and safer,” said Jonathan Bach, director of NIOSH’s Prevention through Design Initiative.