What are preventive and control measures?
A preventive measure intervenes before harm occurs: it eliminates a source of harm, reduces exposure, limits its consequences, or ensures that the risk remains controlled. It can take the form of facility design, a protective barrier, ventilation, substance substitution, separation of traffic flows, shift scheduling, maintenance, information, training, or personal protective equipment. The term ” control” usually refers to a technical or organizational barrier, but it can also refer to the periodic monitoring of conditions and health.
Simply writing a recommendation is not enough. A measure must address an identified risk, specify what will be done, and allow for verification of the result. It should also not be confused with a corrective measure: the latter arises after a deviation or incident has been detected, even though its solution may prevent the damage from recurring.
Order of priority for selecting measures
Law 31/1995 establishes the principles of preventive action. The first step is to avoid the risk; if this is not possible, it is assessed and addressed at its source. It also requires adapting the work to the individual, considering technological advancements, replacing hazardous elements with less hazardous alternatives, integrating prevention, and prioritizing collective protection over individual protection. Instructions complete the system.
In practice, the decision can be ordered as follows:
- Eliminate the hazard or the unnecessary task.
- Replace materials, equipment, or methods with less hazardous options.
- Apply technical controls and collective protection at the source or along the exposure route.
- Redesign the organization and the work method .
- Supplement with information, training, instructions and PPE .
This is not a list for choosing the cheapest option: it must be justified by its effective protection.
From evaluation to planning
The assessment determines whether an unavoidable risk is controlled and what action is required. The Regulations for Prevention Services indicate that the conclusions must show when it is appropriate to eliminate or reduce the risk through prevention at the source, organizational measures, collective or individual protection, training and information, and when it is necessary to periodically monitor working conditions or health.
Each approved action is prioritized and assigned a responsible party, timeframe, and human, material, and financial resources. The urgency depends on the magnitude of the risk and the number of people exposed; if full implementation requires time, interim measures may be necessary to ensure safety. The plan must also include emergency response, health surveillance, information dissemination, training, and their coordination. Outsourcing consulting does not relieve the company of its duty to protect or monitor implementation.
How to define a verifiable measure
A formulation like “exercise extreme caution” does not identify a barrier or allow for its verification. A well-defined measure relates, at a minimum, to the affected hazard and risk, the job or task, the technical or organizational solution, the responsible person, the resources, the deadline, and the acceptance criteria. When a specific standard establishes values, minimum requirements, or frequencies, those requirements form part of the criteria.
It is also advisable to document dependencies: purchase, installation, validation, training, maintenance, and change management . The person performing the task must understand the measure and its limitations, and their representatives must be consulted in accordance with legal requirements. Documentation provides traceability but does not replace on-site observation. Before closing the action, it must be verified that it is implemented where appropriate and that it functions correctly during actual work, including cleaning, adjustments, troubleshooting, and maintenance.
Efficacy, residual risk and maintenance
Implementing a measure does not equate to controlling it. The INSST (National Institute for Safety and Health at Work) points out that if a measure does not eliminate the risk, its effectiveness must be verified, which may require reassessing and re-evaluating the risk under the new conditions. It is also necessary to check that the solution does not introduce additional hazards: an acoustic enclosure, for example, could hinder ventilation or safe access for maintenance.
Residual risk is the risk that remains after controls have been implemented; it must be communicated and kept within applicable criteria. Inspections, measurements, functional tests, maintenance, task observation, incidents, and input from workers help to monitor it. If the process changes, new information becomes available, damage occurs, or a deficiency is detected, the assessment and measures are reviewed. Deterioration of a barrier, circumvention of a guard, or failure to meet a maintenance schedule means the risk is no longer considered controlled.
Practical example: circulation in a warehouse
In a warehouse, forklifts and pedestrians share aisles. Simply distributing reflective vests leaves prevention relying on visibility and human reaction time. The assessment identifies potential collisions and impacts, times of greatest exposure, intersections, loads that reduce visibility, and affected individuals.
The priority solution physically separates traffic flows using barriers and protected crossings; it then redesigns routes and loading points, eliminates avoidable crossings, and installs access and speed controls. Traffic rules, signage, training, and safety vests are added as supplementary measures. The planning process assigns projects, responsible parties, and deadlines, and adopts a temporary separation until completion. To verify effectiveness, interactions are observed, speeds and incidents are reviewed, and those working in the area are consulted. A change in layout requires a reconsideration of the analysis, not just a relocation of the signs.
Regulatory framework in Spain and the European Union
In Spain, Law 31/1995 recognizes the right to effective protection, assigns employers the duty to adopt the necessary measures, and establishes the principles for selecting them. It mandates the integration of prevention, assessment, and planning, ensures their implementation, and requires informing and consulting with workers. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used when the risk cannot be avoided or sufficiently limited through collective protection or organizational measures.
Royal Decree 39/1997 specifies the relationship between assessment, decision-making, and planning: it requires prioritizing based on magnitude and exposure, allocating resources, establishing phases, and conducting periodic monitoring. Specific regulations concerning equipment, locations, agents, or activities add minimum controls for each case. Directive 89/391/EEC contains the equivalent European basis and requires adapting measures to changes and improving existing situations. International management frameworks support the cycle but do not replace applicable regulations.
