Understanding the Hierarchy of Controls: Administrative Controls

This summer, we kicked off a series covering one of the most effective tools at the health and safety professional’s disposal: the hierarchy of controls. In this series, we do a deep dive on each control to provide a better understanding of how to effectively apply it to protect workers.

The ultimate goal of every safety and health professional is to ensure a work environment free from potential hazards. Previously we discussed how to achieve this through engineering controls. In this article, we will be focusing on administrative controls.

“When it comes to protecting the safety and health of LIUNA members, it’s imperative that employers go beyond the bare minimum,” said LIUNA General Secretary-Treasurer and LHSFNA Labor Trustee Michael F. Sabitoni. “Employers should always be seeking out the most protective measures for a job, and the hierarchy of controls provides that framework.”

What Are Administrative Controls?

Administrative controls are changes in work practices to reduce the duration, frequency and severity that hazards pose to a workforce. These practices aim to limit workers’ exposures by reducing shift times, rotating job tasks, posting signage to build awareness and restricting access to hazardous areas. Some more specific examples of administrative controls include:

• During periods of extreme heat, scheduling work during the cooler morning or evening hours to avoid peak temperatures
• Good housekeeping practices to prevent the accumulation of hazardous or toxic materials
• Identifying designated break areas and requiring employees to wash their hands after handling hazardous materials and before eating or drinking
• Training workers on the job-specific hazards they may face
• Developing emergency preparedness plans in case of incidences such as natural disasters, fires, spills or injuries
• Scheduling maintenance and other high-exposure operations for times when few workers are present (such as evenings and weekends)

While the first three controls are aimed at removing hazards entirely, administrative controls focus on changing behavior. Because the risk reduction for the worker is dependent on whether the worker follows the outlined procedures, administrative controls are considered less effective than elimination, substitution and engineering controls. For the best safety outcomes, it’s important to use a combination of all control measures when possible.

One of the primary concerns about implementing administrative controls is that they can be time-consuming. However, as with any safety intervention, the benefits will always far outweigh the costs. Need assistance navigating how to use the hierarchy of controls on your jobsite? There are plenty of resources available through OSHA and NIOSH that help you determine which controls should be implemented in each situation, such as this hierarchy of controls worksheet.

LIUNA signatory contractors can reach out to our Occupational Safety and Health Division for additional assistance and check out our publications catalog for a variety of toolbox talks, pamphlets, pocket guides and more that address occupational hazards you might encounter on a jobsite.

[Hannah Sabitoni]