About this session
The hierarchy of controls is one of the most useful frameworks in workplace safety because it changes the question from 'How can the employee cope with this hazard?' to 'How can the work be designed so the exposure is reduced or prevented?'
Participants learn how elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative or work-practice controls and personal protective equipment differ in the way they protect people.
They examine why removing a hazardous task can provide more reliable protection than repeatedly reminding employees to avoid the hazard, and why equipment that physically separates people from risk usually depends less on perfect human behavior than procedures alone.
The session also avoids turning the hierarchy into a simplistic five-step checklist. Different hazards require different combinations of controls, and lower-level controls may remain necessary even after stronger measures are introduced.
Participants learn to evaluate the real work, understand what each control is expected to achieve and identify where technical expertise is needed.
Longer programs move from control selection into implementation and verification. Participants examine procurement, maintenance, workarounds, control failure, management of change and the evidence needed to know whether a control is actually working after it has been installed.
What your people take away
- Understand why the hierarchy prioritizes controls that act on the hazard before controls that depend on the worker
- Distinguish elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative and PPE controls in real workplace situations
- Select controls based on the actual hazard, exposure and task rather than habit or convenience
- Use combinations of controls without assuming that adding more controls always means better protection
- Recognize when engineering, exposure or specialist assessment is needed before a control is selected
- Verify, maintain and review controls so planned protection continues to work in real operations
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Start With the Hazard and the ExposureA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Start With the Hazard and the Exposure: define what needs to be controlled, separate the hazard from the worker's response and check what is already controlling the risk.
- Define what needs to be controlled
- Separate the hazard from the worker's response
- Check what is already controlling the risk
Covers 3 of 4 points in Start With the Hazard and the Exposure.
60 minutes
60 Minutes — Hierarchy of Controls EssentialsA focused introduction to the control hierarchy and why prevention is stronger when hazards are removed or controlled before they reach the worker. Participants compare solutions to a realistic workplace hazard and identify which controls act at source, along the pathway or at the worker.
- Hazard and exposure pathway
- Why control reliability differs
- Elimination
- Substitution
- Engineering controls
- Administrative and work-practice controls
- PPE and residual risk
- Control Hierarchy Decision Exercise
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Start With the Hazard and the Exposure.
90 minutes
90 Minutes — Select Stronger Workplace ControlsThe extended session develops control selection through realistic examples involving equipment, chemicals, noise, physical work and workplace operations. Participants compare control combinations, examine feasibility and identify when specialist information is needed before a decision can be made.
- Hazard–exposure–control mapping
- Existing control review
- Elimination opportunities
- Substitution and unintended risk
- Engineering and isolation
- Procedures and work-practice controls
- PPE and compatibility
- Combined controls
- Control failure points
- Control Selection Scenario Lab
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Start With the Hazard and the Exposure and Move Upstream: Eliminate, Substitute and Engineer.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Start With the Hazard and the Exposure, Move Upstream: Eliminate, Substitute and Engineer and Use Work-Practice Controls and PPE Intelligently.
Full day
Full Day — Hierarchy of Controls WorkshopAn applied workshop covering all four modules. Participants analyze representative tasks, redesign weak control strategies, compare source, engineering, work-practice and PPE options and develop a practical control-improvement plan with verification and maintenance requirements.
- Module 1 — Start With the Hazard and the Exposure
- Module 2 — Move Upstream: Eliminate, Substitute and Engineer
- Module 3 — Use Work-Practice Controls and PPE Intelligently
- Module 4 — Verify, Maintain and Improve the Controls
- Hazard–Exposure–Control Map
- Weak vs Strong Control Comparison
- Elimination and Substitution Challenge
- Engineering Control Scenario
- Procedure and Workability Review
- PPE and Residual Risk Exercise
- Control Combination Failure Analysis
- Control Verification Exercise
- 30-Day Control Improvement Plan
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Start With the Hazard and the Exposure
Every length- Define what needs to be controlledA useful control decision starts with a clear hazard and exposure pathway.
- Separate the hazard from the worker's responseParticipants distinguish controls that change the hazard or environment from actions that require the worker to avoid, remember or withstand the exposure.
- Check what is already controlling the riskExisting controls may include equipment design, barriers, ventilation, procedures, staffing, supervision and PPE.
- Understand the limits of the informationSome hazards cannot be evaluated confidently from observation alone.
Move Upstream: Eliminate, Substitute and Engineer
90 minutes and longer- Ask whether the hazard can be eliminatedElimination removes the hazardous activity, source or exposure from the work.
- Substitute with a genuinely lower-risk optionSubstitution replaces a hazardous material, process, tool or method with one that creates less risk.
- Separate people from the hazard through engineeringGuards, enclosures, barriers, isolation, local exhaust ventilation, mechanical handling and automated systems can reduce exposure without relying entirely on individual action.
- Design safety into procurement and changeMany control opportunities are strongest before equipment, substances or processes are purchased.
Use Work-Practice Controls and PPE Intelligently
3 hours and longer- Understand what administrative controls can doProcedures, scheduling, restricted access, training, supervision, warning systems and exposure-time controls can reduce risk by changing how work is organized and performed.
- Make procedures workable in real operationsA procedure that requires conditions the workplace does not provide is a weak control.
- Position PPE as protection against remaining exposurePersonal protective equipment can be an essential layer where exposure remains after stronger controls or where the task genuinely requires personal protection.
- Build control combinations that do not share the same failureMultiple controls can strengthen protection, but several controls may still depend on the same weak point.
Verify, Maintain and Improve the Controls
Full day only- Define what successful control looks likeA new control needs a clear purpose.
- Verify performance — not just presenceA guard can be installed but bypassed, extraction can run but fail to capture emissions and PPE can be issued but unsuitable for the hazard.
- Maintain the control through its lifeControls can deteriorate through wear, damage, blocked filters, process changes, missing components or poor maintenance.
- Reassess when the work changesNew materials, equipment, production volumes, staffing, contractors, layouts or operating methods can weaken a previously effective control.
Tools and materials
- Hazard–Exposure–Control Map
- Existing Control Reliability Review
- Elimination Opportunity Review
- Substitution Comparison Matrix
- Engineering Control Opportunity Map
- Procedure Workability Review
- PPE and Residual Risk Check
- Layered Control Builder
- Control Verification Planner
- Hierarchy of Controls Playbook
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Hierarchy of Controls at Work
How long is Hierarchy of Controls at Work?
Hierarchy of Controls at Work runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Start With the Hazard and the Exposure: define what needs to be controlled, separate the hazard from the worker's response and check what is already controlling the risk. A 60-minute session covers Start With the Hazard and the Exposure in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Move Upstream: Eliminate, Substitute and Engineer. A 3-hour session adds Use Work-Practice Controls and PPE Intelligently. A full-day session adds Verify, Maintain and Improve the Controls. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Hierarchy of Controls at Work be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Hierarchy of Controls at Work?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Hierarchy of Controls at Work to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.