Which of the following are the types of controls to determine in risk management?

• A. Engineering, Administrative, or Physical (PPE)
• B. Financial, Legal, or Social
• C. Environmental, Cultural, or Technical
• D. Operational, Strategic, or Tactical

Answer: (A)

In risk management, controls are the measures used to reduce or mitigate risk, and they are best understood by how they address hazards. The standard set is engineering controls, administrative controls, and physical controls (PPE). Engineering controls change the hazard or how it exists in the environment—think machine guards, safety interlocks, or ventilation that remove the hazard from the work area. Administrative controls focus on how people work—training, procedures, job rotations, and signage that reduce exposure to the hazard. Physical controls provide direct personal protection or barriers, such as helmets, gloves, eye protection, or safety barriers.

The other groupings don’t fit the concept of control types in RM. Financial, legal, or social describe consequences or domains of risk rather than the methods used to control or reduce that risk. Environmental, cultural, or technical refer to areas or aspects of operations rather than the categories of controls. Similarly, operational, strategic, or tactical describe levels of planning or decision-making, not the mechanisms used to lower risk.