Use of Administrative Controls and how they Relate to a Specific Work Environment

Discussion Prompt

As a person serving in the role of a safety practitioner, how would you explain to a new worker the use of administrative controls and how they relate to a specific work environment?

 

Sample Answer – Administrative Controls

Administrative controls refers to alterations done in the work processes or procedures such as written safety rules, training, policies, schedules, and supervision with intention of minimizing severity, frequency, and duration of exposure to hazardous situations or chemicals. Some good instances of administrative controls especially in a manufacturing workplace include conducting maintenance operations which comprises of toxic substances on weekends or at night when the normal production workers are not in the premise. Workers rotation via different job assignments in order to avoid repetitive motion harms for instance back aches due standing for long time, fingers numbness for typing for long, and neck strain for sitting and focusing in one position for a long time. Other administrative practices include demanding that employees operating in hot environments to take regular breaks in rest area fitted with cool temperatures where they can be provided with fluids for rehydration (Ilpi, 2016). Others include prohibiting workers from accessing hazardous area with excessive noise, energized electrical tools, lasers or ionized radiation. Other administrative measures would include reducing working hours and rotation time for workers working in hazardous areas. Ensuring that all workers understand safety signs placed in every part of the manufacturing plant, including moving machines, doors and corridors through provision of training is also part of administrative controls. All these controls are placed as rules which must be followed to enhance safety of workers and to reduce work related injuries.

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