Hazard substitution

Hazard substitution is a strategy used in occupational safety and health to replace a material or process with a less hazardous one in order to reduce risks to workers. It is considered one of the most effective ways to protect workers and prevent occupational diseases and injuries.

Overview

Hazard substitution is one of the key principles of Prevention through design, which aims to "design out" hazards rather than managing them later on. It is also a fundamental element of the Hierarchy of hazard controls, which prioritizes elimination, substitution, and engineering controls over administrative controls and personal protective equipment.

Process

The process of hazard substitution typically involves identifying the hazardous material or process, assessing the risks associated with it, finding a less hazardous alternative, and implementing the change. This process may be guided by risk assessments, safety data sheets, and other tools.

Examples

Examples of hazard substitution include replacing a toxic chemical with a less toxic one, replacing a manual process with an automated one to reduce ergonomic risks, or replacing a noisy machine with a quieter one to reduce noise exposure.

Benefits and challenges

The main benefit of hazard substitution is that it can significantly reduce risks to workers. However, it can also present challenges, such as finding suitable alternatives, assessing their risks, and managing the change process.

See also

• Occupational safety and health
• Prevention through design
• Hierarchy of hazard controls
• Risk assessment
• Safety data sheet