What are the three types of controls used to eliminate hazard or reduce risk?

• A. Financial, legal, and scheduling controls.
• B. Engineering, administrative, and physical/personal protective equipment (PPE) controls.
• C. Educational, motivational, and cultural controls.
• D. Environmental, social, and technological controls.

Answer: (B)

The main concept tested is the three categories of controls used to eliminate hazards or reduce risk. The best answer groups engineering controls, administrative controls, and physical/personal protective equipment (PPE).

Engineering controls physically remove or isolate the hazard or reduce exposure, such as guards on machines, ventilation to remove contaminants, or safety interlocks. Administrative controls change how people work—policies, procedures, training, and scheduling that limit exposure or enforce safer practices. PPE provides personal protection when hazards remain after other controls, like gloves, hard hats, or eye protection. Together these form the standard hierarchy of controls, prioritizing hazard elimination or reduction at the source and using PPE as the final safeguard.

The other options don’t fit the established control framework: financial, legal, and scheduling controls don’t directly address hazard exposure; educational, motivational, and cultural controls relate to behavior but aren’t the formal risk-control categories; environmental, social, and technological controls are too broad and don’t line up with the recognized trio.