Question 1 of 7: The Engineer's Role in Safety and the Three E's

Question 1: The Engineer's Role in Safety and the Three E's (20 marks: 7/7/6)

Question text not reproduced: the examination questions are © Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Open the official past paper (linked at the top of this page) to read the question, then follow the worked solution below.

(i) General Engineering Activities Requiring Hazard Recognition

• Design of products, equipment, plant, structures and processes; selection/specification of materials and machinery; plant layout and workplace design; process design and operation; construction, installation and commissioning; operation and maintenance planning; modification; and decommissioning/disposal. Hazards must be recognized and controlled at each stage.

(ii) Design Activities to Eliminate/Reduce/Control Risk

• Design out the hazard (inherent safety); substitute safer materials/processes; build in engineering controls (guarding, enclosure, interlocks, ventilation, fail-safe/redundancy, pressure relief); ergonomic design; adequate safety factors and codes; and provision for safe maintenance (isolation, access, lockout). Follow the hierarchy: eliminate → substitute → engineering, before procedures or PPE.

(iii) The Three E's of Safety

• Engineering — design/modify workplace and equipment to remove or control hazards at source (most reliable, does not depend on behaviour).
• Education — training/informing workers and supervisors (hazard awareness, safe procedures, use of controls/PPE).
• Enforcement — rules/standards and ensuring compliance through supervision, discipline and accountability.
• All three are complementary and needed: engineering makes it safe, education ensures people know how, enforcement ensures they do.