Hierarchy of Controls

The hierarchy of controls is a system developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that ranks hazard controls from most effective (elimination) to least effective (personal protective equipment).

Level in Hierarchy	Description	Strengths	Limitations	Examples
Eliminate Hazard	Remove the source of the MSD hazard to eliminate exposure.	Effective and no further action is required Most practical and cost effective in the design phase	May not be possible	Powered roller conveyor instead of carrying boxes
Substitute Hazard	Replace with another approach that reduces the risk of MSD.	Can be almost as effective as elimination	Substitution may still have risks of MSD	Re-balancing similar work tasks throughout a production line to reduce cumulative exposure to MSD hazards
Engineering Controls	Modify the design of the physical workplace to remove or block the MSD hazard from the worker by machinery, tools or equipment.	Effective long-term controls Used by all workers If installed and maintained, sustainable control of exposure to hazards	May appear expensive compared to administrative controls	Implementing lift assist devices, powered hand tools, etc. Removing obstructions or adding adjustability features
Administrative Controls	Changes to the work organization and work practices to reduce exposure to MSD hazards, such as job rotation, pace of work, training, breaks, etc.	A wide range of controls are available May not require physical changes to the workplace	Worker is still exposed to the hazard at some level Resources required for monitoring adherence Training and retraining	Job rotation schedules can reduce exposure time to MSD hazards
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)	Barriers between the worker and the hazard that are worn by the worker	Considered cost effective Requires little change to the workplace or work organization	Ongoing costs for new PPE Resources required for adherence to wearing PPE Many types of PPE not shown to be effective for MSD even under good conditions	Only some anti-vibration gloves and knee pads shown to be effective "Back belts” not shown to be effective as a general workplace control

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