To ensure a safe working environment, protect indoor air quality, and mitigate fire risks, all operators must follow established safety protocols.
We organize risk mitigation into five primary safety controls based on the industry-standard Hierarchy of Controls. This system ranks solutions from most effective to least effective. Before utilizing the three physical controls pictured below, our absolute first step is always Elimination – completely removing the hazard at its source.
Please note that the use of Industrial 3D Printers must adhere to the policy outlined in ES&H Manual Chapter 12, Work Process U.
Use the quick links below to jump directly to each operational control section.
What is the Hierarchy of Controls?
The Hierarchy of Controls is a simple, 5-step checklist used to fix safety problems at work. It ranks solutions from the most effective (best) to the least effective.
Instead of just handing a worker a hard hat, this system forces you to ask: “Can we just remove the danger entirely first?”
How It Works
- Eliminate (Best)
Completely remove the danger.
Example: Outsourcing the print job to an external manufacturing company so you do not have to handle any hazardous machinery or chemicals. - Substitute
Replace the danger with something safer.
Example: Use safer PLA filament instead of toxic ABS. - Engineering Controls
Build a physical barrier between the worker and the danger.
Example: Build a sealed enclosure around your printer. - Administrative Controls
Change how people work by using rules and training.
Example: Create a maintenance checklist for the heating element. - PPE (Least effective)
Protect the worker with wearable safety gear.
Example: Wear safety glasses when clipping sharp plastic supports.
Why the Order Matters
The higher up the list you stay, the safer the workplace is. PPE is always the last resort because if a glove tears or a worker forgets to wear it, nothing is left to protect them from getting hurt
