Leah S. Hartman, Ph.D., CPO, CXLT, and Stephanie Whetsel Borzendowski, Ph.D., CPSI, CXLT, Perceptio Forensics
Introduction
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were a total of 2,488,400 nonfatal injuries and illnesses and 5,070 fatal work-related injuries recorded in 2024. Injury patterns include slips, trips, and falls, struck by equipment/vehicles, and repetitive motion, to name a few. These injuries and illnesses come at a cost to employers, both in terms of employees’ time away from work as well as potential costs incurred due to medical treatment, litigation, etc. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and other organizations provide employers with regulations and guidelines designed to prevent these workplace injuries and illnesses.
The Hierarchy of Hazard Control (Figure 1) is one such tool for assessing and mitigating workplace hazards, utilized in the regulations
and guidelines promulgated by these organizations. These hazards can include contaminated walking surfaces, unprotected openings, and moving equipment, amongst others. The hierarchy is a methodology taught in human factors programs as an analytical tool for assessing designs and can be used in the forensic analysis of incidents resulting from exposure to a hazard. Additionally, it serves as a guide for employers to perform adequate hazard analyses, identifying hazards that employees may be foreseeably exposed to in their day-to-day job functions. Once hazards are identified, this hierarchy provides guidance as to the most effective means of controlling the identified hazards.
Elimination
Eliminating a workplace hazard is considered the most effective means of preventing employee exposure to hazard(s). For example, construction debris and equipment on the walking surface of a worksite poses a trip hazard to employees and any pedestrians that may access the site. Thus, clearing debris and equipment from walking surfaces would be an example of eliminating the hazard created by the obstructed surface. Consistent with this, OSHA Standard 1926.25 addresses housekeeping requirements for construction sites. According to section (a), all debris “shall be cleared from work areas, passageways, and stairs, in and around buildings and other structures.”
Substitution
Replacing a hazardous condition or situation with a safer alternative is considered the next most effective hazard control strategy. An example of this would be requiring employees to use a scissor lift for work at elevated locations as opposed to relying on ladders. By working on a scissor lift, employees would be protected from fall hazards commonly associated with ladder use.
Engineering Controls
Engineering controls are meant to remove exposure to hazards with physical (e.g., distance from and barrier between) or mechanical (e.g., safety interlocks) protection design elements. Many pieces of equipment and heavy machinery include guards to prevent employees from interacting with moving parts that create nip-points which can in turn cause crush injuries. These guards often incorporate a safety interlock that will deenergize the machine or equipment if the guard is not properly in place.
Additionally, guarding an active worksite can be a critical means of protecting employees and the public from inadvertently interacting with hazards associated with construction and related tasks. For example, erecting barriers and/or fencing around open excavation sites will minimize the likelihood of both employees and passersby unknowingly encountering the fall hazard created by an uncovered excavation hole. ANSI/ASSP A10.34 – 2021 Protection of the Public on or Adjacent to Construction Sites identifies the need to control access to jobsites, particularly where the public may be exposed to hazards such as open excavations.
Administrative Controls
Administrative controls are a more procedural and cognitive focused approach to reducing hazardous interactions. Examples of these controls include training, safety compliance checks, rules and regulations, manuals, and warning labels. In many of the cases we have analyzed, administrative controls have been inadequately designed and/or implemented.
For example, many employees often receive “on-the-job training,” which tends to prioritize speed and ease of tasks over ensuring employees’ exposure to hazards is minimized. An example of this would be employees cleaning machinery while it is still energized, which decreases the time required to complete the task while simultaneously putting employees at risk of electrocution, crush injuries, etc.
Warnings are a commonly relied upon administrative control, serving as a reminder of hazards and avoidance techniques, facilitating compliance with safety procedures. Examples of warnings include wet floor signs, labels on equipment indicating the location of nip-points, and open hole covers along walkways that are appropriately labeled as such.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Requiring employees to wear appropriate PPE can minimize exposure to hazards when used correctly and consistently. Employees that work near moving vehicles and/or equipment and wear high visibility safety apparel (e.g., vest) maximize their conspicuity to vehicle/equipment operators, thereby mitigating the hazard of being struck. Another example of PPE is employees relying on fall protection such as harnesses when working on elevated surfaces (e.g., roofs).
Conclusion
Many workplace injuries and fatalities are preventable if proper hazard analyses are performed and identified hazards are appropriately mitigated. Human factors practitioners can provide employers with assistance in performing assessments, including giving guidance on identification and control of foreseeable hazards by relying upon tools such as industry standards and the hazard control hierarchy. Additionally, human factors practitioners are often utilized to analyze workplace failures that result in injury or death to better understand the root causes.
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At Perceptio Forensics, we provide human factors consulting services in a variety of practice areas, aiming to provide our clients with objective, evidence-based insight into their cases. Interested in learning more about human factors and its applications? Feel free to reach out to either Dr. Hartman or Dr. Whetsel Borzendowski.
