Wearing hearing protection when on the range is an example of which type of risk control?

• A. PPE
• B. Engineering
• C. Administrative
• D. Physical

Answer: (D)

Wearing hearing protection is a personal protective equipment (PPE) measure. It is worn by the individual to reduce exposure to the harmful noise at the range, which means the control acts on the person rather than the hazard itself. It doesn’t change the noise source or the environment (engineering control), nor does it alter how the work is performed or the procedures followed (administrative control), nor is it a modification to the physical setup of the range (physical control). In risk management terms, PPE is used when the hazard cannot be eliminated or otherwise mitigated at the source, making hearing protection the appropriate description for this scenario.