Hierarchy of control

The hierarchy of control is the order in which you should deal with a hazard, always starting with the most effective option. The order is: eliminate the hazard, substitute it for something safer, use engineering controls to isolate people from it, use administrative controls to change how people work, and finally use PPE as a last resort.

Working top down means you remove or reduce the risk at source rather than relying on the worker to protect themselves. It is the backbone of a good risk assessment; our risk assessment guide shows how it fits the five steps.