
Types and Examples of Engineering Controls
Process/Exposure source | Engineering control | Additional procedural control |
Cleaning with solvent on rag | (i) Use a rag holder (ii) Provide a smal ... | (i) Check controls are used (ii) Safe di ... |
Dust spills from damaged sacks | Portable vacuum cleaners with HEPA filte ... | (i) Ensure vacuum is maintained and avai ... |
Cutting-fluid mist from a lathe | Put an enclosure around the lathe and ex ... | (i) Train workers (e.g. It takes time fo ... |
Dust from disc cutter on stone worktop | (i) Carry out the process in an enclosur ... | (i) Test and maintain controls (ii) Trai ... |
What is the definition of engineering controls?
What Does Engineering Controls Mean? Engineering controls are designs or modifications to equipment, industrial plants, processes, or systems that reduce the risk of worker exposure to a hazard.
What are some good competitions for engineering?
- Techfest all over india organised by IIT'S. ...
- Design competitions : SAE SUPRA (FORMULA 1 , SAE BAJA ( BUGGY CAR ) , EFFICYCLE
- QUADTORC ( QUADBIKE ) , GOKART BY ISNEE .
- FSAE — GERMANY , ITALY , JAPAN ( INTERNATIONAL FORMULA CAR DESIGN)
- Hybrid formula one car .
- Robocon . ...
- HPVC ( HUMAN POWERED VEHICLE ) organised by ASME
What does a control and instrumentation engineer do?
Control and instrumentation engineers are in charge of managing instrumentation and control systems at industrial facilities. Typically, a control and instrumentation engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and operating control devices and systems within an industrial facility.
What does engineering control include?
What Does Engineering Controls Mean? Engineering controls are measures that have been implemented in the workplace to protect workers from occupational hazards or work-related musculoskeletal disorders. These measures help to minimize or remove occupational hazards or to restructure job activities to prevent injury. Occupational hazards may include carbon monoxide, aerosols, noise, asbestos ...

When can engineering controls be used?
When hazards can't be eliminated from a work process, engineering controls can be used in conjunction with other control methods to isolate workers from the hazards.
What are the three methods of engineering controls used to isolate hazards?
Chemical fumes and other air contaminants. The three basic methods of engineering controls used to isolate these hazards are: Process control. Isolation and containment. Ventilation.
Why are engineering controls more effective than administrative controls?
Engineering controls are more effective than administrative and PPE controls because they modify the work environment and equipment to reduce or isolate the worker from the source of the exposure to a hazard. There are a variety of engineering controls used for different types of exposure.
What is process control?
Process control is an attempt to isolate the worker from hazards by changing the way a process is done or altering the machinery, tools, and equipment used in the process.
How does process control isolate hazards?
The three basic methods of engineering controls used to isolate these hazards are: Process control is an attempt to isolate the worker from hazards by changing the way a process is done or altering the machinery, tools, and equipment used in the process.
What is a control measure?
Control measures are those measures designed to protect workers by preventing and controlling hazards in the workplace. Both The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognize the following Hierarchy of Controls for controlling workplace hazards.
Which is more effective, PPE or engineering controls?
Engineering controls. Administrative controls. Personal protective equipment (PPE) Engineering controls are more effective than administrative and PPE controls because they modify the work environment and equipment to reduce or isolate the worker from the source of the exposure to a hazard.
What are some examples of engineering controls?
Examples include local exhaust ventilation to capture and remove airborne emissions or machine guards to shield the worker. Well-designed engineering controls can be highly effective in protecting workers and will typically be independent of worker interactions. They typically do not interfere with worker productivity or personal comfort ...
Is engineering control costing higher?
The initial cost of engineering controls can be higher than some other control methods, but over the longer term, operating costs are frequently lower, and in some instances, can provide a cost savings in other areas of the process.
What are Engineering Controls?
Engineering controls are steps that can be taken to isolate any people from a specific hazard. An example of engineering controls would be a machine in a facility that has rapid movements and could cause serious harm to anyone in the area when it is operating. To keep people safe, walls should be placed around the hazardous area. To make it even better, install a switch that locks the door to the area whenever the machine is in use, and prevents the machine from activating whenever the door is open.
When should a company use engineering controls?
A company should only use engineering controls if they are unable to physically eliminate a hazard or substitute the hazardous situation out with a safer solution.
What is hierarchy of controls?
The hierarchy of controls is a concept where occupational hazards are addressed in different ways based on their effectiveness and feasibility. In some cases, more than one level of this process can be used to help reduce the risk of a specific hazard.
When attempting to improve workplace safety it is important to try to address every hazard that exists?
When attempting to improve workplace safety it is important to try to address every hazard that exists. In a typical facility there are many different potential dangers that need to be addressed. To make things even more complicated, there are often a wide range of different ways that they can be addressed. To help employers come up with the best solutions to potential hazards in the workplace, the hierarchy of controls was developed.
Should engineering controls be considered?
To the extent possible, engineering controls should be seriously considered for all hazards that cannot be eliminated or replaced with safer solutions. In the majority of cases, it will be possible to come up with an engineering control that is both effective and practical for the facility.
Is it worth using engineering controls?
Even if the long-term costs will be higher than other solutions, however, it is worth it to use this type of strategy. Engineering controls do not typically rely on people following procedures (as is often the case with administrative controls) and will be far more effective than relying on personal protection equipment. The dramatically improved safety that can be found by using engineering controls in a facility will make it the obvious solution in many situations.
Is engineering control more expensive than administrative?
While the costs of engineering controls can vary greatly based on the situation, they will generally be quite a bit more expensive than administrative solutions or simply using personal protection equipment. These costs will typically be almost entirely up front, which means that over time they become a better and better investment.
What to avoid when using tools?
Avoid tools that put excessive pressure on any one spot of the hand (i.e., sides of fingers, palm of the hand).
What is engineering improvement?
Engineering improvements include rearranging, modifying, redesigning, or replacing tools, equipment, workstations, packaging, parts, or products. These design changes can effectively reduce or eliminate the underlying hazards that cause injuries.
What are some examples of mechanical aids?
Examples include: adjustable carts, conveyors, and powered transport for longer distances.
How to reduce visual effort and awkward postures?
Use cut-out work surfaces to get closer to the work. this reduces visual effort and awkward postures.
Should workers have to use their hands or bodies as a vise to hold objects?
Workers should not have to use their hands or bodies as a vise to hold objects; mechanical devices do this much better. Tooling fixtures and jigs should be set up to avoid awkward postures and excessive forces.
What are the three types of engineering controls?
There are three fundamental types of engineering controls, they are process control, ventilation, and source enclosure or isolation. Engineering controls are typically more costly upfront to implement than other controls but are more cost-effective over the long term. They can either be placed where the hazard originates, along the path of the hazard, or where the worker is situated.
What Does Engineering Controls Mean?
Engineering controls are measures that have been implemented in the workplace to protect workers from occupational hazards or work-related musculoskeletal disorders.These measures help to minimize or remove occupational hazards or to restructure job activities to prevent injury. Occupational hazards may include carbon monoxide, aerosols, noise, asbestos, and lead. Engineering controls are designed to aid productivity while increasing safety.
Why are engineering controls important?
Engineering controls are favored over administrative and personal protective equipment (PPE) for controlling existing worker exposures in the workplace because they are designed to remove the hazard at the source, before it comes in contact with the worker. Well-designed engineering controls can be highly effective in protecting workers and will typically be independent of worker interactions to provide this high level of protection. The initial cost of engineering controls can be higher than the cost of administrative controls or PPE, but over the longer term, operating costs are frequently lower, and in some instances, can provide a cost savings in other areas of the process.
What is the hierarchy of controls?
Traditionally, a hierarchy of controls has been used as a means of determining how to implement feasible and effective control solutions.
What is administrative control?
Administrative controls and PPE are frequently used with existing processes where hazards are not particularly well controlled. Administrative controls and PPE programs may be relatively inexpensive to establish but, over the long term, can be very costly to sustain. These methods for protecting workers have also proven to be less effective than other measures, requiring significant effort by the affected workers.
Safer Devices
List of Devices Designed to Prevent Percutaneous Injury and Exposures to Bloodborne Pathogens in the Health Care Setting external icon Developed by the University of Virginia’s International Health Care Worker Safety Center.
Other Engineering Controls
Selecting, Evaluating, and Using Sharps Disposal Containers DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-111, January 1998 This document presents a comprehensive framework for selecting sharps disposal containers and evaluating their efficacy as part of an overall needlestick injury prevention plan.
Personal Protective Equipment Resources
Considerations for Selecting Protective Clothing used in Healthcare for Protection against Microorganisms in Blood and Body Fluids This document provides an overview of scientific evidence and information on national and international standards, test methods, and specifications for fluid-resistant and impermeable gowns and coveralls used in healthcare.

Relation Between Engineering Controls and Osha
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a body charged with ensuring employees' safety in the workplace. OSHA has three lines of defense, including personal protective equipment, administrative and work practice, and engineering control. Therefore, it relies on engineering controls to set the standards needed to create a healthy work condition. B…
Importance of Engineering Controls in Construction
- Engineering controls in construction work minimize the employees' risks and creates a barrier between them and the threats they are exposed to. The construction site employees are exposed to dangerous fumes like silica and asphalt. Silica dust is found in the earth's crust, and its dust particles clog the lung tissues, reducing lung capacity. On the other hand, inhaling asphalt can c…
Common Engineering Controls
- There are different types of engineering controls, and the common engineering control examplesinclude process controls, isolation, containment, and ventilation. They are explained as follows.
Engineering Controls Examples
- Engineering control examples include inventing rag holders for solvent rags, pumping volatile liquids instead of pouring, and installing a fence with a locked gate to isolate workers from an electrical hazard. The engineering control examples are discussed below.