The objective of all safety and health professionals is to identify and mitigate exposure to occupational hazards before work begins, and a firm grasp of the Hierarchy of Controls can help them effectively alleviate the potential for workplace injuries and the financial ramifications that come with them.
The five hierarchy tiers start at the bottom with the controls perceived to be the least effective and move up to those considered the most effective. Based on studying workplace safety protocols and as part of its Prevention through Design program, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) lays out the tiers across five levels.