When an organization has identified hazards and established the risks those hazards pose, it must have a process(es) in place to ELIMINATE hazards, or where this is not possible, to reduce the risks associated with the identified hazard(s), using the hierarchy of controls.
At the top of the hierarchy of controls is ELIMINATION. This is the most effective way of managing risks associated with identified hazards. The lowest level of the hierarchy of controls is the use of PPE, which should only be used if other controls are not possible. In many cases, a combination of controls is needed to address the risks if the hazard cannot be eliminated.
The basic principle of implementing the hierarchy of controls looks like this:
