Control Measures

A Control Measure is an action aimed to eliminate a hazard or at least reduce the risk of exposure to an acceptable level. The Hierarchy of Controls prioritizes control measures based on the premise that if the hazard you’ve identified can’t be eliminated then follow the Hierarchy of Controls to select the next-best control to mitigate the risk of an accident, incident, injury, or near-miss in the laboratory. The following guidelines have been adopted from wording found on the “Control Measures” webpage of the American Chemical Society Committee on Chemical Safety.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hierarchy

Elimination and Substitution are considered the most effective control measures. They are easiest to achieve for brand new processes. They can be more difficult to implement for existing processes, because new and/or more expensive equipment and materials may be required.

Completely get rid of chemicals, materials, processes, and equipment that are unnecessary to your specific experiment. Check if your equipment is well-worn; check dates, and refer to manufacturer’s recommendations.
Switch out processes, equipment, material, or other components, where applicable. Think about the amount of chemicals or potentially hazardous materials you are using. Can you reduce the amount and still achieve the desired result? Do not use damaged glassware or equipment.
Some valuable tools to help lab workers determine safer chemical substances are:

Engineering Controls are physical means of creating a protective barrier between you and the hazard (or between potentially incompatible hazards).

Isolate. Reduce or remove hazards by separation in time or space. This may be particularly helpful in a shared lab space where different types of chemicals are being used.
Enclose. Place the material or process in a closed system such as a glove box.
Move. Locate hazardous materials to where fewer workers are present.
Guarding and Shielding. Install guards to provide protection from moving parts or electrical connections. Shielding provides protection from potential slashes, flying objects, explosions, etc.
Ventilation. Use fume hoods, exhaust ducts, and biosafety cabinets to reduce the risk of overexposure.

While engineering controls seek to create a physical barrier to hazards, administrative controls aim to minimize a lab worker’s exposure to the hazard by ensuring that the individual follows safe lab protocols. Following are examples of administrative controls:

Follow all Standard Operating Procedures and the Laboratory Housekeeping Checklist.
Provide proper Training and Information.
Conduct a Jobs Hazard Analysis prior to the start of a procedure.
Exposure Limits. Achieved by observing both the concentration and time exposed to a harmful chemical or physical agent.

Even though the Hierarchy of Control Measures indicates that PPE is the least effective control measure, it should absolutely be used in case other control measures fail. The success of PPE depends in part on whether or not lab workers actually use it properly.

All laboratory personnel (students and employees) must wear proper personal attire and PPE when working in a laboratory.