MNO2607 ASSIGNMENT 2 SEMESTER 2 2025 (Answer Guide) – Due 11 September 2025

MNO2607 ASSIGNMENT 2 SEMESTER 2 2025 (Answer Guide) – Due 11 September 2025 Question 1: Hierarchy of Safety Management Controls Safety management controls refer to the structured measures, processes and actions that organisations put in place to remove or reduce hazards in the workplace. These controls form an essential part of occupational health and safety management systems because they aim to either eliminate hazards completely or minimise the level of exposure to employees. The main purpose of such controls is to reduce risks to a level that is acceptable and manageable, while protecting both workers and organisational assets (ISO, 2018; OSHA, 2023). The hierarchy of controls is a systematic framework used to rank safety measures from the most effective to the least effective. The model guides organisations in prioritising interventions so that risks are addressed as close to the source as possible rather than relying on personal behaviour alone. The five levels of the hierarchy of controls are elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (NIOSH, 2024; HSE, 2023). The first and most effective level is elimination, which involves physically removing the hazard from the workplace. If the hazard is no longer present, the risk of harm is completely avoided. For example, in a mining operation, elimination could involve designing processes that remove the need for workers to handle highly hazardous chemicals. While this is the most reliable approach, elimination may not always be feasible because some hazards are inherent in the work environment (OSHA, 2023). The second level is substitution, which replaces a hazardous substance, process, or piece of equipment with a safer alternative. Substitution does not remove the hazard entirely, but it significantly lowers the potential risk. A common example is the replacement of lead-based paints with water-based paints in construction projects. Although substitution is effective, it requires careful evaluation to ensure that the alternative does not introduce new, unexpected