Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the last option to eliminate or control a hazard after considering engineering and administrative controls, as it is the final barrier between the worker and the hazard.
When seeking to eliminate or control a hazard, various steps are ranked by their efficacy based on the hierarchy of hazard controls. This hierarchy places personal protective equipment (PPE) as the last resort after engineering and administrative controls have been considered and implemented. The final answer in 2 lines to identify the last option to control a hazard from the provided options is: 3) PPE.
The reasoning behind this hierarchy is that PPE relies on human behavior and compliance, and it may not prevent a hazard from being present while engineering controls aim to remove the hazard at its source, and administrative controls change the way people work. PPE should be used in conjunction with other controls for the most effective protection. Therefore, even if all other options fail or are not feasible, PPE serves as the final barrier between the worker and the hazard.