Hazard Prevention and Control
Hazard prevention and control is one of the four elements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). Once an organization identifies workplace hazards through the worksite analysis element of OSHA VPP, this element is necessary to prevent, correct, or control worksite hazards.
Please see the following SMCX-developed presentations for more information on specific HP&C topics:
Below is a list of items that must be included in your Safety and Health (S&H) management system:
- A consistent disciplinary system that operates for all employees (including supervisors and managers)
- An occupational health care program appropriate for your workplace. The program should include, at a minimum, nearby medical services, physician care, staff trained in first aid and Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and hazard analysis by licensed health care professionals as needed
- A written preventive/predictive maintenance system that reduces safety-critical equipment failures and schedules routine maintenance and monitoring
- A system for initiating and tracking hazard correction. The system should include documentation of how and when hazards are identified, controlled or eliminated, and communicated to employees
- Written Emergency Response Plans that must:
- List requirements for:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- First Aid
- Medical Care
- Emergency Egress
- List provisions for:
- Emergency Telephone Numbers
- Exit Routes
- Medical Care
- Annual Evacuation Drills
The following hierarchy should be applied to eliminate or control hazards. The hierarchy of control (in preferred order) is as follows:
- Engineering solutions that provide the most reliable and effective protection
- Administrative controls that limit daily exposure, such as job rotation
- Work practice controls, such as rules and work practices that govern how a job is done safely and healthfully
- PPE