Risk Reduction Strategies: Past, Present and Future

Details

• Personal Author:
  Jensen RC
• Description:
  SEVERAL RESPECTED AUTHORS have proposed short lists of all strategies for controlling hazards or reducing risks from hazards. This article reviews those attempts and proposes an improved list of nine risk reduction strategies. Why should the safety profession want a list of risk reduction strategies? The first and most obvious reason is to help identify options for addressing recognized hazards. This is a fundamental step taken by design teams following a systematic risk assessment methodology. The four processes in risk assessment are: identify hazards; assess risks; reduce risks; and document the results (Main, 2004). Much has been written about how a design team can effectively perform the first, second and fourth processes (Bahr, 1997; Main, 2004; Manuele, 2005; Piampiano & Rizzo, 2006). But when it comes to the third process-reducing risks-most authors and standards limit advice to telling the design team to follow a hierarchy of controls (Bahr, 1997; Main, 2004; Manuele, 2005). Hierarchy lists consist of three to six general approaches to hazard control (Manuele, 2005). Design teams could benefit from more-specific options. Strategies fill the gap between the broad approaches found in hierarchies of control and the more concrete applications or tactics. A second reason for having a list of risk reduction strategies is to contribute to the evolving development of a scientific foundation for the practice of safety. William Haddon Jr. (1973a), a great innovator in the injury control movement, wrote of the value of classification for a scientific field, "An important landmark is reached in the evolution of a scientific field when classification of its subject matter is based on relevant, fundamental processes involved rather than on descriptions of the appearances of the phenomenon of interest." [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Risk Assessment Safety
• Keywords:
  Hazard Controls Risk Assessment Risk Management Safety Practices
• ISSN:
  0099-0027
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Montana ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  52
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056166
• Citation:
  Prof Saf 2007 Jan; 52(1):717-723
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Performing Organization:
  Montana Technological University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Professional Safety
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:95adaa4cd0726738375b086114cdb10a4d1c28f84b3cfd614db4c611b8e0e6f4d4f410efdf425a4becedecdd3d1897f1e28d21b4004219fb76bb3b8d4e490403
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213823/cdc_213823_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.77 MB ]